Romelu Lukaku is back 'home' at Chelsea after a forgettable first stint ended 7 years ago - but the Belgian is now a different player altogether.
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When news broke on Thursday (August 12) that Chelsea signed Romelu Lukaku for a deal worth 97.5 million pounds, the reaction was not perhaps as massive as many expected. The Belgain striker is one of the best goal-scorers in world football right now. The deal also makes him the most expensive player to be signed by Chelsea. Yet it did not generate as much hype or excitement as other big moves this summer have. Perhaps it’s down to Lukaku’s forgettable first stint at Chelsea from 2011-14. Perhaps it’s his mixed record for Manchester United that followed after a promising spell at Everton. Whatever the reason, it did not generate as much of a buzz as many maybe thought it would.
But make no mistake – the Belgian striker is a potentially transformative signing for Thomas Tuchel. The German manager managed to win the Champions League last season with a squad that is, at best, a work in progress.
He was rewarded with a contract extension and the signing of a truly world-class player. But just how much of a difference will Lukaku make to this Chelsea side? Let’s take a look.
The most obvious impact he will have is up front. Chelsea have struggled massively to fill the void up front ever since the departure of Diego Costa.
Many felt Timo Werner would be the answer to that puzzle, but his own goal-scoring form has been questionable at best. There’s also an acceptance that he is perhaps better suited to be a wide forward than an out-and-out number 9.
Tuchel, since arriving at Chelsea in January, made them more compact at the back. But getting goals from the side still remained a big worry.
Chelsea might have won the Champions League, but they were never scoring a ton of goals. Even the final was decided on a slim 1-0 scoreline.
In the Premier League, Chelsea finished fourth but had only the eighth-best scoring record in the league. 58 goals in 38 matches is not title-winning form, no matter how defensively solid they were.
It’s not like they didn’t create chances either. The forward’s routinely found themselves in good positions but would often squander those chances. They significantly underperformed in the xG (expected goals) metric.
That’s something that should happen less with a proper goal-scorer in the squad.
Lukaku’s two seasons in Italy saw him score 64 goals in 95 appearances. Even at Manchester United, where his erratic performances were criticised, he managed 42 goals in two seasons.
Yet his goalscoring was never the reason many felt he wouldn’t become an elite player…
Perhaps Lukaku’s biggest failing was that he lacked an all-round game. In today’s day and age, it isn’t enough simply to be a big target man or a fox in the box type poacher. A striker is expected to do more.
The best modern strikers will possess a good passing range and excellent link-up play to compliment their goal-scoring exploits. Lukaku, at one point, was an excellent finisher but little else.
His link-up play left a lot to be desired, as did his ball control in tight positions. Indeed, his first touch was something social media users constantly lampooned him over.
However, Antonio Conte made him a different player at Inter Milan. Lukaku’s passing and link-up play improved to the point he recorded 11 assists – his personal best – for Inter last season.
It wasn’t just flukey passes either. Lukaku’s passes were well-thought out and he often even used his strength to his advantage.
Granted, his partnership with Lautaro Martinez helped in that regard. But Chelsea have plenty of players – Havertz, Werner or even Pulisic – who would thrive playing off Lukaku.
Whereas previously he was at best a target man with a good finish, he is now a more complete striker. And that will help Chelsea immensely.
There’s also the fact that Romelu Lukaku will be desperate to exorcise the demons from his previous stint at the club. He famously never scored a Premier League goal for Chelsea despite being at the club for a while.
His last kick of a ball in Chelsea blue saw him miss the decisive penalty in the 2013 UEFA Super Cup penalty shootout against Bayern Munich.
Indeed, there is a suggestion that all of Lukaku’s success since then is in part fuelled by his poor time at Chelsea. Yet it is worth remembering that the Belgian grew up a fan of the club and also idolised Didier Drogba.
Lukaku always wanted to emulate his idol and win plenty of trophies for the Blues. Now, many years after his first departure, he has a chance to finally do just that.
