"He hasn’t landed in the best spot" - Pundit questions Chelsea star's decision to join Serie A club in the summer
Pundit Alejandro Moreno reckons wantaway Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku didn't move to the right club. The Belgian has joined Serie A side AS Roma on loan for the season.
Lukaku, 30, arrived at Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2021-22 from Inter Milan for £97.5 million for his second stint with the Blues. But things have horribly gone wrong for the striker.
In 44 games across competitions, he contributed only 15 goals and two assists. Those were a far cry from his Inter Milan numbers, with the Belgian managing 64 goals and 16 assists in 95 games across competitions.
He was shipped off to Inter on loan last season, but the returns weren't as impressive - 14 goals and seven assists in 37 games across competitions. The Nerazzurri were looking to sign him permanently but pulled out after finding that the striker had also established contact with Juventus.
With no future at Chelsea under new boss Mauricio Pochettino, Lukaku was sent to AS Roma this summer. The deal has a loan fee of £7-8 million (as per Sky Sports) and has no option to buy.
Meanwhile, Moreno told ESPN FC (via Football365) that Lukaku could have achieved much more had he made the right decisions about his landing spots. He said:
“It just feels like his career could’ve been so much more, and we just find now reasons to talk about him because of failures, not because of achievements."
He added:
“And whether he is the biggest loser in the transfer window or not, I don’t know, but what we do know is that he hasn’t landed in the best spot and again, this doesn’t make us think of him as trending in the right direction.”
Lukaku made his Roma debut in a 19-minute cameo in a 2-1 defeat to AC Milan but didn't make a goal contribution.
How have Chelsea fared this season?
Chelsea have undergone a massive squad overhaul under new boss Mauricio Pochettino this season. The Argentine has jettisoned several players - one of them being Lukaku - and brought in a host of new faces.
The Blues spent nearly £450 million on new arrivals this summer, but results on the pitch have been far from convincing. After opening their campaign with a 1-1 home draw with Liverpool, they fell to a 3-1 defeat at 10-man West Ham United.
Chelsea did beat newly promoted Luton Town 3-0 at home in the league and League 2 side AFC Wimbledon in the Carabao Cup second round. But they were expected to win both games anyway. The Blues then slumped to a 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest at home.
They're languishing in 12th place in the standings with four points, eight behind leaders Manchester City.