When Romelu Lukaku came back to Chelsea this summer, for a club-record £97.5 million ($131.74 million) fee, it was supposed to be a dream deal for all involved. These days that transaction has turned out to be nightmarish, as the big Belgian was left out of the squad for Chelsea’s draw versus Liverpool yesterday.
Manager Thomas Tuchel made the decision to drop Big Rom, for the side’s biggest Premier League fixture of the season thus far, due to the striker’s comments about how he’s unhappy at Chelsea, and how he doesn’t care for his gaffer’s tactics.
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Lukaku didn’t stop there either, as he also professed his love for his last club, Inter Milan, going so far as to say that he really wants to head back there, and soon. The controversial comments set off a media fire storm, around the world, and Tuchel had no choice but to drop his all-time most expensive player.
The latest reports indicate that the two men will use Monday as an opportunity to try and hash this all out. Could the big Belgian’s second Stamford Bridge spell be coming to an end? Yes, it’s quite possible. There have been rumblings that Chelsea would be okay in shopping him this winter window.
Non Lukaku Chelsea Team News
Timo Werner missed out of the stalemate with Liverpool due to his recovering from the mandated absence that accompanies a positive covid test. He’s a doubt while Reece James remains out of commission and Ben Chilwell is done for the season.
Edouard Mendy has left to join up with Senegal ahead of the AFCON.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Bank (TheSportsBank.Net) and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.