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When Romelu Lukaku signed for Chelsea in 2021, he was seen as the final piece of the puzzle for the west London club. Chelsea were the Champions League winners, and all that was needed was a top striker. The club went for Lukaku after failing to sign Erling Haaland and Robert Lewandowski, but everyone was more than happy with the transfer.
What has transpired in the last year has been nothing short of a disaster. Lukaku is actively trying to figure out a return to Inter Milan, and Chelsea are also trying to get the deal done.
On that note, we will look at the facts, what Lukaku said about himself and how the fans feel to assess whether the Belgian is the worst signing in the club's history.
Romelu Lukaku, factually a poor signing
If one were to take away everything Lukaku has said or done over the past year and just focus on football, he would still be a poor signing. Lukaku's transfer fee was £97.5m, a record for Chelsea. The Belgian made 44 appearances for the club, scoring 15 goals in all competitions and providing two assists.
Considering everyone expected him to score 20 goals in the Premier League alone, it shows that this was a poor return. Lukaku started his second stint with Chelsea well, but he got injured in a Champions League game. Once he returned from injury, he showed glimpses of the form he had shown at Inter but nothing substantial for the rest of the season.
Lukaku only recorded seven touches against Crystal Palace in February. At any level of any contact sport with a ball, it is impossible to record only seven touches. It just highlights the lack of effort he was showing on the pitch.
Lukaku said all the right stuff, until he didn't
Lukaku talked about adapting himself to the team's needs during his first interview at Stamford Bridge on his return to the club in 2021. He made everyone believe he was back to prove everyone in England wrong.
The lack of commitment and work ethic were accusations leveled at him during his time at Manchester United from 2017-19 but he said Inter had changed him.
Lukaku credited Antonio Conte for changing him as a player. He admitted that before Italy, he was a player who liked to run into spaces but since then, he has developed into an all-rounder.
Lukaku then gave his interview to Sky Italia in December, which was released in January. The Belgian admitted to being "not happy" at the club and questioned Thomas Tuchel's system.
He seemed like a frustrated figure, although he was injured and hadn't played for two months. The 29-year-old even expressed his love for Inter and hoped to play for them again.
Lukaku let his teammates and Tuchel down, who relied on him to be the talisman for the team. He was supposed to be a leader coming into the club but he behaved like a teen struggling to adjust away from home.
Chelsea fans stabbed in the back
Chelsea fans were initially excited for Lukaku following the narrative he had woven with his statements. But the interview with Sky Italia burned the bridge.
How can a player treat the champions of Europe as a stop-gap when he had previously said he was at Chelsea for life? These contradictory statements were too much for the fans to take.
The fans still tried to back Lukaku but after he showed no effort on the pitch and learned nothing off it, even the most ardent supporters felt it was enough.
The Blues have had some contentious players over the years. Thibaut Courtois was disliked by fans after he skipped training to force a move to Real Madrid. Courtois did it for his children, but who has Lukaku done it for?
Alvaro Morata struggled to adapt to the pressures of England, but he looks like a saint compared to Lukaku.
Upon his arrival at the club, Lukaku was said to be at par with Karim Benzema, Erling Haaland and Robert Lewandowski. A year in, he could not be further from that level. It does look like Lukaku will return to Italy and everyone will get what they want.
For the club's fans, no player has caused them the disappointment and sense of betrayal that the Belgian has over the last year. Considering the hype around the transfer, the fee, the stature of the player and the self sabotage of his image, Lukaku is undoubtedly the worst signing in the Blues' history.
