Where Did It All Go Wrong for Romelu Lukaku at Chelsea?

At the time of his second signing, Romelu Lukaku had scored 113 Premier League goals and recorded 35 assists, but none of those numbers had come in a Chelsea shirt. His last known memory in the colors of Chelsea blue was a missed penalty in the 2013 UEFA Super Cup against Bayern Munich. But he had matured.

The poisoned experience at Manchester United may have eaten his confidence, but the rejuvenation at Inter Milan had remolded the Belgian into something more. Working with serial winner Antonio Conte, Lukaku staked his claim as one of the top 5 strikers in Europe during his two seasons in Milan.

He was the focal point for Conte’s ruthless counter-attacks. His size, speed, strength and ruthless finishing made him a force for the Nerazzurri. Despite coming up short in their first season, Inter and Lukaku lifted their first title in 11 years at the end of the 2020/21 season.

Lukaku was the man. That title of flat track bully was gone. He was a striker that had grown into the best version of himself. Chelsea FC, in dire need of goals, felt confident shelling £97 million Pounds on the former Anderlecht man to bring him back to Stamford Bridge.