Looking at him, it is incredibly hard to believe that Romelu Lukaku only recently turned 21 years of age. His sheer size disguises his youthfulness, but a large part of that is also owed to his dominant performances over the last few years.
Making his name in his native Belgium with Anderlecht, Lukaku scored 41 goals in just under a century of appearances for the side from Brussels. At the age of 18, Chelsea agreed to pay a fee that could potentially rise to £17 million for the prolific youngster.
Loan spells at both West Brom and Everton have only seen the striker continue to flourish, with Lukaku currently able to boast 32 Premier League goals despite being yet to score in the blue of Chelsea. According to the Express, that is something he may not get the chance to do.
The publication presented quotes from Lukaku’s agent that that suggested the 6ft 3in forward would not be allowed to leave the club on loan again. This, of course, would leave Chelsea with two viable options: play him or sell him. There would definitely be interest from across Europe in the player and if he is not the man Jose Mourinho wants to head his attack then a move could well be on the cards.
The decision is down the Blues’ Portuguese manager, but for Lukaku to depart the price must be one that takes into account his achievements thus far as well as his huge potential. Mourinho rarely makes mistakes in the transfer market and he must now ensure that he does not make one when handling the big Belgium striker’s future.