Chelsea owner Todd Boehly has been told to bring Romelu Lukaku back to Stamford Bridge at the end of the season and reintegrate the Belgian into the squad.
The £95.5m flop had one season back at the Blues under Thomas Tuchel but failed to make the desired impact and swiftly returned to Inter Milan on loan for the current season, though he has not impressed back in Italy.
Despite his struggles with form and fitness, Lukaku scored the only goal of the game in the San Siro as his side defeated Porto 1-0 in the Champions League last 16 first leg on Wednesday. With just a few minutes remaining, Lukaku got on the end of a cross as his header hit the post but rebounded kindly to the striker who broke the deadlock at the second attempt.
Manchester United icon Rio Ferdinand has claimed that Chelsea should give Lukaku another chance under Graham Potter, who joined the club months after the striker was sent back to Serie A. “If he can get back fit again this guy has proven he is a goalscorer, simple as that,” Ferdinand told BT Sports.
“New manager, give him a chance. You have got no one in there that you obviously trust at the moment, [Pierre-Emerick] Aubameyang isn’t even in the European squad, this guy he’s just a goalscorer. Alright, he is not fit, he is carrying a bit more weight than normal or what he or the club would like, still comes in and scores two goals in the last two games.
Ex-England midfielder Owen Hargreaves agreed with Ferdinand and explained why the Blues should look to Lukaku in the summer. “No, no chance [Chelsea career is over],” Hargreaves added.
“Especially when they have spent how much? [£600m] They don’t have a centre-forward, so they have got a really good one just get him fit and obviously he is proven, Rio said his body of work shows he scores goals so why would you not try and integrate him back in the summer? For me, it’s a no-brainer.”
Inter CEO Giuseppe Marotta explained why Lukaku was initially left on the bench by Simeone Inzaghi to face Porto, as the striker “must be physically fit” and talks are set to begin in the coming months between Inter and Chelsea over the 29-year-old’s future.
The Blues paid a hefty fee to sign him in 2021 and would likely attempt to recuperate the majority of the £97.5m fee that they initially paid should they sell the player.
But having failed to repeat his previous stunning form at Inter and has just four goals in 14 appearances so far this campaign, the Italians may not be prepared to stump up the necessary cash.