Romelu Lukaku’s Chelsea misery looks like coming to an end, with the Blues agreeing a fee with Roma for a permanent move next summer.
The Belgian striker joined Chelsea for what was then a club record £97.5m fee in 2021 and made a fast start to his second stint at Stamford Bridge. The goals quickly dried up, though, while a falling-out with then-manager Thomas Tuchel saw him loaned back to former club Internazionale last term.
Mauricio Pochettino’s arrival at Stamford Bridge didn’t bring a return for Lukaku, who has joined Roma on loan for the current campaign. The move to the Italian capital has served him well, paving the way for a cut-price switch next summer, but his form at the Stadio Olimpico should come as no surprise.
According to reports in Italy, Inter will have the option to buy Lukaku for £37m in the summer of 2024. That would represent a significant loss for Chelsea, but would bring Lukaku’s combined career transfer fees north of £300m.
The former Manchester United striker has scored seven goals in seven games for his new club, helping the Giallorossi recover from a slow start to climb into mid-table. It’s just the latest example of the Belgian starting like a train at a new club, but the challenge is keeping that going.
Lukaku scored six times in his first five games on loan at Everton, prompting his first permanent move away from Chelsea in 2014, and 11 in his first 10 after leaving the Toffees for United in 2017. His first Inter spell included goals in each of his first two matches, while even the second Chelsea stint began with four goals in his first four appearances.
Lukaku’s form at Roma has come under Jose Mourinho, a manager under whom he has thrived in the past. Mourinho was the Chelsea manager who sold the Belgian to Everton, but the pair were reunited at Manchester United in 2017.
“As I have said in the past, the coach and I have a special relationship,” Lukaku said of the Portuguese in early October. “He knows my family, he knows my children: he is someone I trust, as he has in me. He is also tough, as other coaches have been in the past, but it’s the only way I can grow as a player.”
Mourinho’s position was under scrutiny after a slow start to his third season at the Stadio Olimpico, but back-to-back wins against Frosinone and Cagliari have lifted his team to 10th in the table. Lukaku was on target in both of those games, netting twice against Cagliari, and has also been on target in both of Roma’s Europa League group games.
