“£97.5m investment needs to be loved and protected, not chastised like an errant schoolboy” – Garth Crooks warns Tuchel over Lukaku row at Chelsea

BBC pundit Garth Crooks has urged Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel to handle Romelu Lukaku's situation with care for the benefit of the club. The 28-year-old forward was recently left out of the Chelsea squad following a controversial interview.

Crooks feels that Tuchel does not hold all the cards against Lukaku in his delicate situation. He has reminded about the power football agents have in these modern times.

In his column for BBC Sport (via Caught Offside), Garth Crooks wrote:

“If Tuchel thinks he holds all the cards in this delicate situation he is very much mistaken. The modern game exists in an era when top players have agents who are prepared to ask for a transfer on behalf of their client if they lose their car park space at the training ground, never mind their place in the team."

Crooks believes that if Chelsea plan on having a successful 2021-22 season, they will have to treat Lukaku in a more gentle manner.

“This is a time for cool heads and a little wisdom at Stamford Bridge," he wrote. "I suggest if Roman Abramovich is intent on winning a domestic trophy this season, or getting anywhere near to retaining the Champions League title, he needs to have a quiet word with his manager and remind him that his £97.5m investment needs to be loved and protected, not chastised like an errant schoolboy. Chelsea’s future success in a number of areas depends on it.”

Romelu Lukaku was Chelsea's marquee signing in the summer of 2021. The Belgian arrived from Serie A champions Inter Milan for a fee of £97.5 million.

However, in a recent interview, he has expressed his unhappiness at Chelsea and suggested he is not a fan of Tuchel's tactics. Lukaku also stated he is keen to return to play for Inter Milan once again.

After that interview, Thomas Tuchel left Romelu Lukaku out of Chelsea's squad for their important game against Liverpool on Sunday.

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Romelu Lukaku has had a slow start to his second stint at Chelsea

Despite having a reputation for being a clinical forward, Romelu Lukaku has had a slow start to his second stint as a Chelsea player. The 28-year-old forward has scored just seven goals in 18 appearances for the Blues across all competitions so far.

However, it is worth noting that Lukaku's time at Stamford Bridge has been hampered by injuries and COVID. The Belgian forward suffered an ankle injury in October before being infected with COVID towards the end of 2021.