The 20-year old Lukaku was sent to West Bromwich Albion last season on loan as he was struggling to break into the first team at Chelsea. The decision to loan him out reaped huge dividends for Lukaku and West Brom, as he scored an impressive 17 league goals for the club, which were crucial in them not only avoiding relegation but finishing in the top half of the table this season.

Now that he is back at Stamford Bridge, there have been questions whether he will stay at Chelsea this time around or he will be sent out on loan again. It looks increasingly like he will have another year of frustration if he decides to stay at Chelsea, as he will be behind Fernando Torres and Demba Ba in the pecking order, a move to another club where he will be playing every week seems like it may be a more appealing option.

There is no confirmation yet , but it is widely expected that former boss, Jose Mourinho, will be returning to Chelsea in the next few weeks once he officially finishes his tenure at Real Madrid. When asked about the possibility of Mourinho taking over and his next destination by the local press, the World Cup focused Lukaku was reported by Sky Sports, as saying,

“I want to play as much as possible.”

“I want to have a good World Cup so need to be ready.”

“Chelsea? It depends on Mourinho, if he takes over, and what he has to say.”

With the two set to sit down in the summer to discuss the plans for Lukaku, it will be interesting to see what Mourinho has in store for him. Will he work on nurturing Lukaku on his own, or will he simply send him out on loan?