The manager of Chelsea, Thomas Tuchel has insisted that he would not give up on Chelsea’s most expensive signing, Romelu Lukaku despite his poor run of form.
Recall that Chelsea decided to sign Lukaku after winning the UEFA Champions League title in 2021. The Premier League club agreed to pay a whopping £97.5 million for the services of the 28-year-old Belgian striker due to the superb form the striker was enjoying at Inter Milan.
Recall that during his time at Inter Milan, Lukaku was so prolific in front of the goalpost that he scored a whopping 64 goals and provided 16 assists in 95 games in all competitions.
Romelu Lukaku who has scored a record 68 goals in 101 games in all competitions for Belgium’s national team, was expected to make Chelsea unbeatable by bringing his goalscoring prowess to the club that was doing well without him.
In his first five matches at the club, Lukaku who failed at Chelsea between 2011 and 2014 before he reignited his career at Everton, returned to Chelsea as one of the fiercest strikers in the world. But the form dropped drastically afterward.
Currently, Lukaku who earns a whopping £325,000-a-week at Chelsea and currently the highest-paid player at the club has managed to score just 12 goals and provided 2 assists in 37 games in all competitions for the west London club.
Due to his drop of form, he has become a bench warmer. Coach Thomas Tuchel mostly starts the Belgian goals machine from the bench.
In recent times, there has been growing speculation that Lukaku could leave Chelsea on loan or permanently this summer due to his poor form which is affecting his game time.
But ahead of Chelsea’s Premier League game against Arsenal scheduled to kick off at 19:45 on Wednesday, April 20, Thomas Tuchel stressed that he would not give up on the Belgian record scorer.
The Spanish tactician stressed that it would be a thing of pride for him as the coach of Chelsea if he could get Lukaku scoring consistently again.
“It is pride for me and it should hopefully also be a pride for him – and it is I guess,” Thomas Tuchel told Sky Sports News.
“This is how we feel, we feel things getting personal then if we don’t get it right and I feel it with any player. If we cannot get the best out of a player for the team it feels, personally for me I feel it and I don’t want to have that feeling so.
“You never give up on players, you never give in, and I think Romelu is such a competitor that he feels the same and he behaves in the same way.”
🗣️ "You never give up on players."
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) April 20, 2022
Thomas Tuchel says he will not give up on Romelu Lukaku as he tries to coach his striker back to form. pic.twitter.com/exLBQ5c7vO
Thomas Tuchel reveals why Romelu Lukaku is struggling
Late last year, Romelu Lukaku told Sky Italian that he is struggling at Chelsea because he does not like the style of coach Thomas Tuchel.
But when coach Thomas Tuchel was asked why Lukaku has been struggling at Chelsea, the coach said a couple of injuries the Belgian suffered earlier in the season affected his fitness level.
The German tactician stressed that the Belgium international needs a spark to return to the form he brought from Inter Milan, noting that Lukaku ought to have started in Chelsea’s 2-0 FA Cup semi-final win over Crystal Palace on April 17 but had to start from the bench due to his lack of match fitness.
“All he needs is that spark,” Tuchel said on Tuesday ahead of the clash against Arsenal later tonight. “He may be would’ve been a natural starter against Crystal Palace given the minutes Kai (Havertz) has played.
“But after a period of injury, he lacked the fitness for matches. I don’t point the finger at him, it’s just a fact… Romelu should have had a goal against Real Madrid and Crystal Palace, but if he plays we need all that he has.”
🗣 “What he needs is maybe that one moment, that one spark.”
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) April 19, 2022
Thomas Tuchel on Romelu Lukaku starting for Chelsea. pic.twitter.com/5N4ph5wrbi
Chelsea are currently sitting on the 3rd spot on the league table with 62 points in 30 games. They need to beat Arsenal to strengthen their standing on the league table. While Arsenal need to beat their London rivals to brighten their chance of finishing in the top four this season.
