Chelsea’s struggles this season have been well documented, yet they have still reached a League Cup final, while preparing for an FA Cup semi final against Manchester City next month.
Mauricio Pochettino has a young squad which is filled to the brim with talent, yet perhaps adding in another couple of experienced heads for 2024/25 would be the best course of action.
They even have one on their own doorstep, as Romelu Lukaku is currently shining out on loan at AS Roma this term.
Romelu Lukaku’s statistics for AS Roma
Lukaku has scored 18 goals in 37 appearances for the Serie A side this season, while creating four big chances and averaging 0.8 key passes per game, indicating that he is enjoying a new lease of life in Italy.
Chelsea have scored 47 Premier League goals this season, with Cole Palmer top-scoring with 14 goals, followed by Nicolas Jackson, who has 12 goals in all competitions.
Metric
Europa League
Serie A
Goals
7
10
Assists
1
3
Big chances created
3
4
Shots on target per game
1.6
0.8
Scoring frequency
114 minutes
215 minutes
Via Sofascore
Lukaku has scored more than both of these players, and he could certainly be a better option for Pochettino to utilise compared to Jackson, who has failed to really hit the ground running in England thus far.
Dubbed as a “machine” by writer Alex Barker in 2022, the Belgian frontman has plenty to give and, under a new manager, he could really thrive next season.
Not only that, but the 30-year-old is also comparable to one of the best strikers on the continent – Victor Osimhen.
How Romelu Lukaku compares to Victor Osimhen
The Nigerian international has been in wonderful form since the start of last season, scoring 44 times during that period, leading Napoli to their first Serie A title since the days of Diego Maradona.
The Stamford Bridge side have been linked with the player for quite some time now, with the latest report claiming the west London club are one of the main contenders for his signature.
If they don’t manage to secure his signature, then the Blues could seemingly already have a potential copy in the form of Lukaku, who is noted as a similar player to Osimhen, as per FBref.
Indeed, this season, the duo have registered similar statistics with regard to goals scored (ten vs 11), shots on target per 90 (0.88 vs 1.22), goal-creating actions per 90 (0.34 vs 0.47) and shot-creating actions per 90 (2.27 vs 2.1) as both players have proven to be a dangerous force in the opposition penalty area for their respective teams.
Since making the move back to Chelsea in the summer of 2021, Lukaku scored just 15 times before re-joining Inter Milan after a solitary campaign in England.
He certainly has a point to prove following this poor spell. The question is, will he want to return to Stamford Bridge, especially given how successful he has been at Roma during 2023/24.
Having a player like Lukaku available could give Pochettino a major boost – that is if he is still in charge of the Blues come next season.
Whatever happens, the Belgian gem has a few more years at the top left in him yet and whoever makes use of his services next season will be guaranteed goals.