Graham Potter makes interesting comments on Romelu Lukaku's future at Chelsea

Chelsea head coach Graham Potter recently revealed his admiration for out-of-form striker Romelu Lukaku, referring to the 29-year-old as a "fantastic player."

Potter's interest in the striker may have stemmed from Lukaku's performances for Belgium during the international break in March. The Belgian scored a hat-trick against Sweden in Stockholm and also found the net in the 3-2 win against Germany in Cologne.

Speaking to reporters, Potter said (via Mirror):

"Well, he’s still a Chelsea player and we’re monitoring him of course. We understand where he’s at, he’s on loan, those decisions will be made in the summer. He’s a fantastic player, someone who we know and like. But again, we need to speak about that in the summer because he’s playing on loan for his club."

Romelu Lukaku rejoined Chelsea from Inter Milan in a big-money move last summer but failed to impress, scoring only eight goals in the Premier League. He was loaned back to the Italian side for the current campaign but has struggled to rediscover his form, scoring only three goals in Serie A this term.

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Chelsea will prepare for Lukaku's return, as Inter remain set to end loan

The Belgian has found himself in a tricky situation, with Inter confirming that they will not make his loan permanent, according to a report in the Mirror. However, Potter's interest in taking Lukaku back to Stamford Bridge has opened the door for a potential return for the striker to the London club.

Chelsea are in desperate need of a world-class striker, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang struggling for minutes under Potter this season. Therefore, Lukaku's return could be an excellent solution for the Blues.

However, Lukaku has failed to reach expectations, as evidenced by his previous struggles at Stamford Bridge last season. The Belgian fell down the pecking order and admitted that he was "not happy" with his situation before proclaiming his love for Inter in December 2021.

Despite this, Potter's interest in Lukaku could provide the striker with the opportunity to redeem himself at Chelsea and silence his critics. It remains to be seen whether the Blues will retain Lukaku this summer, but his return to Stamford Bridge could be a massive boost to the club's aspirations next season.