Chelsea: What does the future hold for Romelu Lukaku?

When Romelu Lukaku made his second debut against Arsenal last August, he looked like a perfect fit for Thomas Tuchel’s team as he wreaked havoc on the Gunners’ defence. However, he has since fallen out of favour at Chelsea. Before his inclusion in the starting XI against Mikel Arteta’s side at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, the Belgian had made zero league starts over the course of the last two months.

Lukaku needed just 15 minutes to open his account upon his return to the Premier League earlier this season. He went on to score four total goals in his first four appearances as he looked the part of the puzzle piece the Blues were missing over the last few years. The manager was full of praise for his new No. 9 earlier in the year, but those compliments have since faded as Lukaku himself has drifted back into irrelevancy at Stamford Bridge. The £97.5 million signing now faces an uncertain future, which prompts the question: what’s next in Lukaku’s career?

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What’s next in Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku’s career after recent struggles?

Despite the Blues being the reigning European Champions, it looked as if they were missing a prolific center forward. In order to challenge for trophies more consistently, they needed a dominant No. 9 and Lukaku fit the bill. However, even in the very beginning, there were clear indicators that Lukaku was not quite the perfect fit he appeared to be. Those hunches have now grown into obvious signs as the situation has become a bit awkward recently.

Tuchel has gone from showering the striker in praise to having to explain to the press why Lukaku is primarily warming the bench these days. He had this to say after the recent win over Crystal Palace in the FA Cup semifinal:

"“After a period of injury, he lacks fitness for matches, but I don’t point the finger at him. It’s just a fact; it’s not even his fault. It is just like this in the crucial time of the season where you need a certain rhythm.”"

Kai Havertz has been the preferred candidate to Lukaku in the pecking order as of late. The German has been in fine form as he now tops Chelsea’s scoring charts for the season. Thus, there has been mounting speculation that the 28-year-old might be allowed to leave at the end of the campaign.  Despite the rumors, Tuchel has kept things positive as he continues to insist that the Blues can still enjoy success with Lukaku leading their line in the future:

"“For us it is clear, we can play with Romelu and we can be very strong with Romelu and we proved it and we will prove it again if he stays involved mentally. He can grow in this situation and come back stronger.It is a disappointing situation for him and not what we expected, but it is not finished and we will not give in. We never give in with any players and we never give up. We will push him, we will push as far as we can and as long as the player continues with the mentality that is needed to bring a team forward, he can still be a crucial player. He has support to try to reach this kind of level again. It is in him and it is in us. He is in the right place still and there’s things for all of us to improve. We won’t give up.”"

These are undeniably hard times for Lukaku as a player. His confidence appears to have been impacted immensely. The forward has missed two sitters in his last two outings against Real Madrid and Crystal Palace respectively.

After the latter match at Wembley Stadium, Lukaku was asked to give interviews by some journalists in attendance, but suggested that he was not allowed as he pointed to his mouth as he got on the team bus. That is likely because of his unapproved interview with Sky Sport Italia back in December. After all, this is where all his troubles at Chelsea began when he speculated about a return to Inter Milan after just a few months in west London.

Lukaku has not scored in the league ever since. It is widely believed that the striker caused his own grievance by appearing to find fault in Tuchel’s tactics, as well as declaring his infinite love for Inter. It goes without saying these comments did not go over well with the Chelsea fans. After a very public downsizing, Lukaku—who has struggled in the past where he feels he is not loved—found it extremely difficult to reproduce anything like his best form.

As the weeks go by, he continues to be linked with a return to Inter by the press, but a transfer looks impossible from a financial perspective. The Italian giants are instead looking at signing Sassuolo striker, Gianluca Scamacca, considering Lukaku’s £325,000 per week wages too hefty to move on anytime soon.

Chelsea cult hero Joe Cole declared on ITV‘s coverage of the FA Cup semifinal that “Lukaku has six weeks to save his Chelsea career.” The harsh reality is that Cole is probably right—yes, probably. Lukaku was signed as the Blues’ No. 9 to score goals first and foremost. That is exactly what he needs to do between now and the end of the season if he is to win over Tuchel and the club’s supporters, although many fans will be of the opinion that it is already too late. Lukaku’s start to the campaign may have been brilliant, but right now it has become a cause for concern for the hearts and minds of all involved.

Does the Belgian still have a chance to save his Chelsea career? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or on Twitter!