Chelsea have raised around £150m with the sale of squad members which became fringe players under Mourinho such as Juan Mata, David Luiz, Kevin De Bruyne, Demba Ba and now Romelu Lukaku although, the sale of a striker with so much potential could be considered a huge mistake. However, these sales have helped fund moves for marquee signings like Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa this year but also meant Chelsea have stayed within the FIFA Financial Fair Play rules.
Since arriving at Chelsea from Anderlecht, Lukaku found chances in the first team slim and despite being owned by Chelsea for 3 years, only made 10 appearances for the club in total. Instead, Lukaku found himself loaned out after a disappointing first season to guarantee he got first team football, allowing him to grow as a player. A stint at West Brom where he scored an impressive 17 goals made many sit up and realise the talent Chelsea had on their books. Lukaku then spent the next season on loan at Everton where he thrived under the playing style of Roberto Martinez and scored 15 goals despite suffering ankle ligament damage.
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| Lukaku at the signing of his five year deal |
It was on the back of that impressive loan season that Lukaku was purchased by Everton who broke their record transfer fee to bring in the striker. Lukaku has time and time again shown why he was hailed as one of the hottest teenage European talents with his strength, pace and direct eye for goal. Surely, with how well Lukaku played out on loan, Chelsea lacking a proper striker in recent seasons and still only at the tender age of 21, Lukaku had a bright future at Chelsea?
Wrong. Chelsea's continued tradition of signing a household striker most summer transfer windows often made Lukaku realise he was not going to be first choice, something that would affect the amount of game time he would get. But blame can't fall on Chelsea's shoulders alone for the failed relationship between the club and Lukaku as Mourinho revealed that it was Lukaku who had requested to go on loan at Everton last season, despite Mourinho wanting him to compete for a starting berth with Eto'o, Torres and Demba Ba. Many Chelsea fans got the feeling Lukaku was never interested in competing for his position and just expected it to be handed to him.
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| The Belgian striker will look to make Mourinho regret not giving him a chance in the first team |
Although, with the way he played out on loan, you would expect him to at least be given a chance in the first team. The whole point of sending a player out on loan is to get them game time, allow them to thrive and learn and come back a better a player. If they impress, players should be given a chance to do the same in the first team, something that never happened for Lukaku which was disappointing. The loan policy Chelsea have in place may have cost them one of their brightest talents. Many Chelsea fans will be disappointed that Lukaku has left, especially with the return of Didier Drogba in a player - coach role who as a mentor could have seriously benefited Lukaku, previously dubbed the "new Drogba."
The season came has come to a bitter sweet end for Lukaku, who all in all had a good season but had a poor world cup, eventually being usurped by new Liverpool signing Divock Origi in the first team. The Everton faithful can be very excited about the capture of Lukaku, who is one of the best young talents in the world right now. There is no limit to what Lukaku could achieve if he continues to grow as a player at the rapid rate he has done but, if he does continue to do so well, could Everton merely be a stepping stone to a even bigger club in the future?
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