Mauricio Pochettino could be willing to let Romelu Lukaku redeem himself at Chelsea
If Mauricio Pochettino is hired as the new Chelsea manager for the upcoming season, he might be willing to give Romelu Lukaku another opportunity to prove his mettle at Stamford Bridge.
According to The Telegraph (subscription required), (h/t Daily Mail), Pochettino is convinced to give Lukaku a second chance to prove that he can be the one to spearhead the Blues’ renewed pursuit of glory.
The Belgian was allowed to go on loan to Inter Milan by former manager Thomas Tuchel after failing to make an impression during his first season back with the club in 2021–2022. Lukaku is a handful on his day but is equally invisible when out of sorts.
Lukaku should return to Chelsea in the summer transfer window since the Serie A team is unwilling to make a long-term commitment to the striker. The Blues, who acquired the 29-year-old for £97 million in 2021, are looking into other teams for him. The striker only managed 15 goals in 44 games in all competitions for Chelsea, a rather poor return.
Meanwhile, at Inter the former Everton striker has only scored eight goals in 26 appearances this season in all competitions. He found the back of the net twice last weekend away to Empoli.
Additionally, it is believed that Chelsea will speak with the striker about his future since the club’s new manager is expected to take over before the start of the next season.
This is a very risky choice by Pochettino since Lukaku has twice failed to maintain consistency in his goal-scoring. Since leaving Blues for Inter, he has only impressed in patches.
The Argentine coach, however, has assisted numerous players who are out of form. At Paris Saint-Germain, he assisted players like Ander Herrera and Marco Verratti in regaining their competitiveness. Adopting the same move is not without its risks.
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- Chelsea agree to send Anthony Barry to Bayern Munich to work with Thomas Tuchel
To be truthful, we should start afresh and get rid of all the fringe players who make enormous salaries but do not contribute much on the pitch. An element of ruthlessness will do us the world of good.