TalkSPORT pundit Gabriel Agbonlahor has backed Romelu Lukaku to return to Chelsea for the start of next season.
The Belgian is currently on loan at Inter Milan, but the Nerazzurri don’t have an option to buy the striker and Agbonlahor feels the Blues are in desperate need of a goalscorer like Lukaku:
“Get the team playing to Lukaku’s strengths. When Lukaku was at Chelsea, Chillwell and James were injured and they weren’t getting the ball in the box for him. He wasn’t getting the service. You look at Chelsea yesterday against Real Madrid, Lukaku would have scored a couple of goals at least.”
Unsurprisingly, fans on Twitter are very much against the idea of Lukaku being reintegrated into the first-team squad:
You are not serious…
— FC (@bigwiz_rizla) April 19, 2023
Lukaku missing 3 sitters in about 3 minutes at the world cup leading to Belgium going out must have been a dream for Gabby.
— Eoin (@CFC__Walker) April 19, 2023
I remember Lukaku missing sitters against Madrid last season, so what is he talking about?
— Maurice Marima Mpofu (@cde_MakkaPakka) April 19, 2023
Got everything right, but that Lukaku mentioned is a no no. He has disgraced and disregarded the club, said all manners of things while on loan with Inter. Chelsea should just sell Lukaku and get Ivan Toney
— Ikennasamuel (@Ikennasamuel14) April 19, 2023
That Lukaku ship sailed a long time ago
— Azzurri (@donsaruro) April 19, 2023
No lukaka pls, he can't even start for inter. No
— Zazu Zeh (@zazu_zeh) April 20, 2023
Lukaku is a no no I will rather have Watkins or Ivan toney instead of dat rot lukaku
— ibukunoluwa♑ (@Belgium157) April 19, 2023
There are so many reasons why keeping Lukaku would not be a good idea. The player expressly said in an interview that the £97.5m switch to Chelsea wasn’t something he really wanted.
After securing his return to Inter last summer, he has struggled with injury problems and the former Manchester United forward has only scored seven goals this season.
On top of his massive £325,000 a week wages, which continue to hit Chelsea’s finances, there isn’t really any scenario where keeping Lukaku at Stamford Bridge would be good for the club.