"Lingering on for a while now" - Kevin Philips says Chelsea star will leave as he feels the player doesn't "see eye to eye" with Thomas Tuchel

Former Sunderland and Southampton striker Kevin Phillips feels Romelu Lukaku could leave Chelsea this summer.

The Blues re-signed the Belgium international for a club-record fee of £97.5 million from Inter Milan at the start of the season. After a bright start to his second spell at the Premier League club, his goals have dried up. The 28-year-old striker has scored 12 goals in 35 appearances across competitions for the Stamford Bridge outfit in the current campaign.

Moreover, Lukaku's interview with Sky Italia last year enraged several Chelsea fans as he openly admitted his desire to return to Inter Milan or play for "bigger clubs".

Lukaku's relationship with Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has also detoriated, with Kai Havertz being the club's preferred No. 9 at the moment. And Philips is of the opinion that the Belgian's days at Stamford Bridge could be numbered:

The former Premier League striker told Football Insider:

“His days could be numbered. From the outside looking in, when you don’t play a striker who cost you that amount of money less than a year ago it doesn’t look good. When you bring him on with 20-odd minutes to go and you are losing the game."

He added:

“I know you want him to get the goals to get you back in it but it suggests to me that there is a rift there. I don’t think Lukaku and Tuchel see eye to eye. This has been lingering on for a while now. It looks like something might give and it could be Lukaku who pays the price. It will be interesting to see how this one unfolds.”

Lukaku's current contract with the Blues runs until the summer of 2026.

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Chelsea have a chance to finish the season on a high

The Blues have had a rollercoaster season so far. After a bright start in the Premier League, their title charge faded away due to injuries and inconsistency. They are currently third in the league table with 59 points from 29 games, 14 adrift of league leaders Manchester City, who have played one game more.

Although they did win the UEFA Super Cup and the Club World Cup, they lost the League Cup final against Liverpool on penalties.

The Blues are still in contention to win the FA Cup and the UEFA Champions League. While they will face Real Madrid in the quarter-finals of the UCL, Chelsea will lock horns with Crystal Palace in the FA Cup semi-finals.

In light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Chelsea’s current owner Roman Abramovich was sanctioned by the UK government. Authorities have frozen all of the Russian-Israeli billionaire's assets, making the Blues operate on a tight budget. But the UK government is not against the idea of the club's sell.