Bring back Lukaku! Chelsea told

Stuart Telford

• 23 Feb 2023 08:26 CST
• 3 min read

Romelu Lukaku came off the bench to snatch the winner for Inter Milan against Porto in the Champions League last 16 on Wednesday.

Lukaku is in his second spell at Inter having fired them to the Scudetto in 2021 with 24 Serie A goals.

Chelsea brought him back to Stamford Bridge for €115 million the summer before last, but after an abject season - in which he scored just eight times in the Premier League - he was allowed to return on loan to Inter.

READ: "Let him come back and cook!" - Twitter reacts to Lukaku's Inter Milan winner

The Belgium striker has struggled weight issues in his second spell at the San Siro, and was only deemed fit enough for the bench against Porto, but he secured the win after replacing Edin Dzeko, bagging his second goal in as many games.

Chelsea have been struggling up front, meanwhile. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is available for sale, David Datro Fofana is one of the future, and incumbent No.9 Kai Havertz is a midfielder by trade, one with only five league goals to his name this season.

Former Manchester United and England centre-back Rio Ferdinand thinks the Blues should give Lukaku another look.

READ: Chelsea CRISIS meeting held amid Potter sack talk

Ferdinand: Chelsea transfer business a nonsense

"Chelsea have spent €600 million and don't have a centre-forward? For me it's nonsense," he told BT Sport.

"The new coach [Graham Potter] should give him a chance. You don't have anyone you trust, since Aubameyang isn't even on the list for Europe. Lukaku knows how to score goals.

"I think he's out of shape and weighs more than normal what he and the club would like. And yet he's scored two goals in two games. He's a proven goalscorer, a good striker. Why not try it again in the summer?"

Chelsea unprecedented spending under Todd Boehly in the January transfer window didn't include an elite-level striker, with Fofana, who arrived from Molde, still proving himself at 20.

Chelsea have managed to stay within Financial Fair Play regulation due to long contracts handed out to their new players, but they are reportedly on UEFA's 'watch list'.

Big money for a No.9 might not be available to them next summer. If Lukaku can get fit and firing, they might not need it to be.