Today, there are several players dubbed to become the next Zidane, Drogba, or Terry. Most of those do not materialise as we have been proven on several occasions with players like Freddy Adu. Romelu Lukaku, though, may not fall under that category after all. Dubbed as the ‘next Drogba’, he has had to carry a lot of weight on his shoulders from a young age. Yet, he has managed to exceed all expectations so far.
Several eyebrows were raised when Chelsea agreed to pay a transfer fee, which could rise to £17 million, for the teenager in 2011.
“It is true we wanted Romelu, but he has a very clever dad. He wants Romelu to stay at Anderlecht for one more year. I wish all dads were like this.” – Mourinho in December 2010.
After 17 goals last season, though, there is a talk of him being the main striker ahead of Fernando Torres and Demba Ba at Chelsea next season. It is not surprising because José Mourinho is a known admirer of the Belgian striker.
Torres is the main threat for Lukaku, as he still remains a pet signing of owner Roman Abramovich.
“He’s not a guy who thinks he’s the best and doesn’t have to try. He wants to work hard to get even better every single day.” – former Anderlecht youth coach, Yannick Ferrera.
Of course, stats do not tell the whole story. However, it is pretty clear from these statistics that Lukaku is more effective in almost every regard. Coming on as a substitute and impressing is certainly not an easy feat, but he has managed to do it on several occasions.
Lukaku himself said that he will be making a decision on his future depending on the next Chelsea manager. He is open to the possibility of another loan deal. If you’re looking for soccer betting lines on whether he’ll stay at Chelsea or leave, you’re at the right place.
“I want to play as much as possible. Chelsea? It depends on Mourinho, if he takes over, and what he has to say.” – Lukaku to Sky Sports.
Despite his stunning season, Lukaku is still an unpolished diamond. However, he appears to be on the cusp of greatness and it is time to integrate him into the Chelsea squad rather than loaning him out once again.
