Chelsea Transfer News Roundup: Romelu Lukaku accused of giving up at Stamford Bridge; Tino Livramento opens up on leaving Blues, and more - 21 April 2022
Chelsea stuttered to a 2-4 defeat against Arsenal at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday. Despite the defeat, Thomas Tuchel’s men remain third in the Premier League standings.
Meanwhile, Dean Saunders believes Romelu Lukaku has given up at Stamford Bridge. Elsewhere, Tino Livramento has opened up on leaving the Blues.
2-4 
| #CheArs
The night ends in defeat.
🔵 2-4 🔴 | #CheArs https://t.co/Z67O4BUvXx
On that note, here's a look at the key Chelsea transfer stories as on 21st April 2022:
Dean Saunders accuses Romelu Lukaku of giving up at Stamford Bridge
Former Wales striker Dean Saunders has given a blistering assessment of Romelu Lukaku. The Belgian was ineffective once again for Chelsea against Arsenal on Wednesday.
Speaking to talkSPORT, Saunders questioned Lukaku’s desire to turn his career around at Stamford Bridge, saying:
“I’ve got two thoughts about Lukaku because I was a striker, and I do know how it feels when you aren’t scoring. On the other hand, I’m looking at him and thinking are you working your socks off to try and stay in the team? Are you bothered? Do you realise the manager doesn’t like you, so you packed in and give up? Do you realise the fans don’t like you for what your said?”
Saunders added that Kai Havertz performs better than Lukaku in the number nine role, adding:
“I think he’s just given up. He’s not making any runs, and because he doesn’t make any runs, he is keeping the opposition centre-backs together in the middle of the pitch. They are never getting pulled out of the middle or pulled apart. Havertz plays up there and pulls people out wide and makes runs and comes short."
He continued:
“I’m watching Lukaku tonight, and he’s walking, the ball gets switched across the pitch, and he’s still walking. When you get bought for £100 million and get paid a ridiculous amount of wages, that is the price on the ticket. If you don’t produce all the goods, then you will get criticism. You are the top player, top paid player, and he’s got to take it on the chin and try and come through it."
Lukaku has scored just 12 times across competitions this season. He started against the Gunners but was taken off with 30 minutes to go.
Tino Livramento opens up on leaving Chelsea
Former Chelsea academy player Tino Livramento has opened up about his decision to leave Stamford Bridge. The Englishman left the Blues to join Southampton last summer and has enjoyed a stellar run with the Saints so far.
Tino Livramento on signing for Southampton: “I didn't realise I would play so much so early on, but I realised I would probably get more opportunities than I maybe would have got at Chelsea. It was the right decision for me, I felt.” #saintsfc [hl]
Speaking to Hampshire Live, the 19-year-old said that he left London to play regular football.
“You look back, and I didn’t have many changes through the academy. I stayed at Chelsea and signed every contract that they gave me. Taking that step to decide to leave was massive, but it was well thought-out, I took a lot of time and a lot of reasoning. At the end of the day, I just wanted to play first-team football consistently,” said Livramento.
He continued:
“I didn’t realise I would play so much so early on, but I realised I would probably get more opportunities than I maybe would have got at Chelsea. It was the right decision for me, I felt. Maybe not everyone would have done what I did, and I am not saying what I did would work for everyone, but I looked at it for myself, and ultimately, it was what I felt was right for me."
Livramento has made 30 appearances for the Saints this season.
Andreas Christensen reveals mood in dressing room after Gunners defeat
Andreas Christensen has said that Chelsea players talked about their woeful defending in the dressing room after the defeat to Arsenal. The Blues have struggled to keep a clean sheet at Stamford Bridge in recent games.
Speaking after the game, Christensen also took responsibility for the first goal, saying:
“Since Thomas arrived at the club, we’ve always been strong defensively. That’s been our base to work from and then knowing that our quality up front guarantees goals. Being solid at the back has always been a priority, and recently, it’s been kind of the opposite. We spoke about it in the dressing room, because we’ve now conceded 10 (11) goals in our last three home games, and that’s nowhere near good enough,” said Christensen.
He continued:
“I take 100 per cent responsibility on my shoulders for the first goal; it was my mistake, but luckily for me we got back into the game quite quickly through Timo’s goal. We kept making mistakes, though, and it’s hard to keep bouncing back."
Chelsea have lost three consecutive home games across competitions for the first time since 1993.