“Some Chelsea fans may be wondering” – Ian Rush questions key decision made by Blues to facilitate Lukaku signing

Former Liverpool star Ian Rush has questioned Chelsea’s decision to sell Tammy Abraham and sign Romelu Lukaku.

Lukaku was signed for a club-record fee of €115m in the summer of 2021, but he has struggled for form under Thomas Tuchel so far this season.

The Belgian has managed just five league goals and has not always been on the same wavelength as his manager.

Lukaku even gave a controversial interview where he revealed that he wasn’t happy with the way the manager was using him in the setup.

Abraham, on the other hand, has been one of the best signings in Serie A this season. The England international has already scored ten times in the league so far.

Rush explained that Abraham has flourished at Roma partly because of his relationship with Jose Mourinho:

“As a striker, sometimes you have to just wait for a chance to come along and when you eventually tuck one away everything else tends to fall in to place. Some Chelsea fans may be wondering why they sold Tammy Abraham and brought in Lukaku. Abraham is scoring goals for fun in Italy, although it has to be said Serie A is not as strong as the Premier League these days.

“But the big difference between Abraham and Lukaku right now is that the former is enjoying his football. Jose Mourinho has been showing Abraham some love, which is really important for a striker, while Lukaku and Tuchel haven’t exactly seen eye to eye. It’s important for Lukaku to just knuckle down and stay patient, I’ve no doubt his quality will shine through for Chelsea sooner or later.”

---

Lukaku needs to make a statement in the second half of the season

Abraham’s form at AS Roma has indeed raised questions as to why Chelsea let the England ace leave.

Although he struggled for playing time at Chelsea last season, he did a good job whenever he was called upon, scoring six times for the Blues in the league.

Lukaku, after a good start at Stamford Bridge, has had issues with injuries, while also failing to adapt to Tuchel’s tactics.

The Belgian needs to prove his doubters wrong soon. Chelsea will need their attackers, and particularly Lukaku, to start firing if they are to win some silverware this season.