ON-FIRE Romelu Lukaku shows Chelsea what they are missing

Carlo Garganese

• 7 Oct 2023 01:18 CDT
• 3 min read

Romelu Lukaku is enjoying a sensational start to the 2024-24 season with club and country, leaving Chelsea wondering once again what might have been.

Lukaku left Chelsea for Roma on loan in the closing days of the summer transfer window, the second year in a row the Blues have loaned the striker out.

The 30-year-old joined Chelsea from Inter in the summer of 2021 for a then-club record transfer fee of €115 million.

READ MORE: Lukaku accused of 'betrayal' by Zanetti

But he was a disaster during the 2021-22 campaign, falling out with manager Thomas Tuchel, criticising the club publicly and performing poorly on the pitch.

Since then Chelsea have decided Lukaku won’t play for the club again, a sentiment shared by the Belgian.

And Lukaku is showing Chelsea that maybe they made a mistake with this stance.

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The attacker has made a sensational start for his new club in 2023-24.

Despite arriving in the Italian capital very short of match fitness, the ex-Inter man took no time to get into his groove.

He has scored seven goals in eight appearances in all competitions, averaging a goal every 87 minutes.

Lukaku also has scored three goals in three games for the Belgium national team.

The latest was on Friday evening as he found the net in the 3-2 win over Austria in Euro 2024 qualification.

That goal helped Belgium qualify for next year’s Euros in Germany.

Chelsea will have been watching on with interest as the Blues are once again struggling in attack this season.

Mauricio Pochettino is in dire need of a top number nine, with Nicolas Jackson and Armando Broja both lacking experience.

It is expected that Chelsea will go into the market for a new striker in January.

Lukaku attributed his fantastic start to the season to Roma manager Jose Mourinho, who he worked with before at Manchester United.

What did Lukaku say?

“As I’ve said in the past, he [Mourinho] and I have a special relationship,” Lukaku said last week.

“He knows me and my children. He’s someone I can trust, and he puts his trust in me. He’s tough, but that’s the only way that I can grow.”

Lukaku is next in action on Monday as Belgium take on Sweden in Euro 2024 qualification.