Time is running out for Romelu Lukaku at Chelsea

Romelu Lukaku was supposed to be the final piece of the jigsaw that made Chelsea into Premier League champions. Instead, the striker has become a £97.5 million conundrum that head coach Thomas Tuchel does not seem to know how to solve.

When Chelsea beat champions Manchester City to lift their second Champions League crown, the feeling was that the club were a front man away from domestic dominance.

Tuchel walked into a club that was languishing in ninth place after Frank Lampard was sacked and steadied the ship. He converted them into a defensively astute team and relied on a hard-pressing attack consisting of the likes of Timo Werner, Kai Havertz, Christian Pulisic and Hakim Ziyech.

There was no place for "I" in this team. It was a system that relied on players stealing the ball from their opponents high up the pitch and hitting hard on the counter. The German placed an emphasis on the collective over individual brilliance.

But when the opportunity to sign Lukaku from Inter Milan presented itself, it was difficult to turn down. The 28-year-old had been pivotal to Antonio Conte's Inter Milan as the side broke Juventus' dominance of Italy and claimed their 19th crown after an 11-year drought.

The Belgian international scored 24 goals in the league and laid another 10 for his teammates as he ran riot against Serie A defenses. He was also awarded the Serie A Most Valuable Player of the season. In two seasons in Italy, he scored an astounding 64 goals.

All the pointers indicated he had shaken off the lethargy that had bogged him at Manchester United and become the complete striker many always envisioned him to be. It was certainly a plus that his record in the Premier League - that 2018-19 season with the Red Devils notwithstanding - was nothing to be scoffed at.

In his previous stint in England, Lukaku had 96 goals in 207 appearances. That amounted to approximately one goal every other game. Werner, Havertz, Pulisic, and Ziyech had scored a combined total of 16 Premier League goals in the 2020-21 season.

Fans and the club had hoped that Lukaku was the solution to the Diego Costa-sized hole that had been left on the frontline for the past few years. The Spaniard, who was crucial to the Blues' league triumph in 2016-17, departed on unceremonious terms after falling out with Conte.

Alvaro Morata, bought as his replacement, proved to be a square peg in a round hole. Werner, bought to be the former Real Madrid striker's replacement, never found his scoring boots. In this Goldilocks game, Chelsea's recruitment team thought they had finally hit it right with Lukaku.

A dream start for Lukaku quickly fizzled out

After his signing in August, club director Marina Granovskaia had expressed her delight.

"Romelu Lukaku is quite simply one of the world’s best strikers and goalscorers," she said. "We are absolutely delighted to be bringing him back to the club he loves, and are excited to be adding his talent to our Champions League-winning squad."

"We are of course looking to build on last season’s success, and Lukaku will play a big role in achieving our targets. I’m sure all Chelsea fans will join me in saying welcome home, Romelu!"

On his first start and second debut for the club, Lukaku scored against Arsenal and bullied Pablo Mari and Rob Holding into submission. The narrative was perfect. The Belgian had finally "come home." He was ready. He had arrived.

He followed that performance with another exemplary outing against Aston Villa, where he scored two. In celebration, he kissed the badge and soaked up the adulation from the fans who had thronged at Stamford Bridge.

But alas, it was as good as it got. It's all been downhill since then. As Chelsea came up against league heavyweights like Liverpool and Manchester City, Lukaku went anonymous. The same accusations that were thrown at him during his previous stint in England found their way into conversations once again.

He was a "flat-track bully," they said. He would only score against "small teams," they said. Oh, what Chelsea would take for either of those statements to be true right now. Like almost every #9 that has represented the Blues since Didier Drogba, Lukaku seemed to have forgotten his scoring boots back at home.

Time is running out for Lukaku at Chelsea

COVID and injuries have been mitigating factors, to be sure. But a record of eight goals in 25 appearances across all competitions is not what the club expected from a striker that cost them close to nine figures.

There was also that unsavory interview with Sky Italia. He said he was "not happy" with his situation at Chelsea because Tuchel did not play a system suited to his strengths. He also promised he would find his way back to Italy - a terrible look for someone supposed to be the torchbearer of a new era.

The 28-year-old was swiftly condemned and chastised by practically everybody, including his teammates, who were reportedly less than impressed with the timing. He was dropped from the squad for a top-of-the-table clash against Liverpool. It was a game that eventually ended 2-2 and heavily dented their title prospects.

Lukaku has since been welcomed back into the fold, but one gets the feeling that time is running out. Owner Roman Abramovich isn't exactly known for his patience and will likely be keeping a close eye on the striker's performances.

Chelsea will be competing for two trophies this month - the Club World Cup and the League Cup. If the striker does not make an impact, don't be surprised to see rumors swirling about a potential exit.