Ex-Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy has questioned if Romelu Lukaku is capable enough to lead Chelsea to the Premier League title.
Writing in his column for the Daily Mail, former Liverpool and Tottenham midfielder Danny Murphy has claimed that Chelsea could still fall short of the Premier League title this season despite the signing of Romelu Lukaku.
The Belgian international returned to Stamford Bridge seven years after he left for Everton. Chelsea splashed a club-record £97.5 million transfer fee to secure the signing of the 28-year-old after having spent a large chunk of the summer chasing Erling Haaland of Borussia Dortmund.
Upon returning, Lukaku has wasted no time to showcase what he will add to the team, as the former Everton, Manchester United and Inter Milan striker bullied Arsenal to no end in his second debut this past weekend, capping off a fine display with a goal.
Despite his past exploits for club and country and the way he has started the season for Chelsea, Murphy still believes that the 28-year-old might not be enough to bridge the gap between Thomas Tuchel’s side and Premier League champions Manchester City.
Nine years and 360 days after his Chelsea debut, Romelu Lukaku found the back of the net for the Blues ? pic.twitter.com/vyvHaFzCK0
— Goal (@goal) August 23, 2021
Writing in his column for the Mail, he said: “Lukaku’s arrival from Inter Milan is a big statement by Chelsea. It adds another string to their attacking bow and I wouldn’t be surprised if one or two forwards left. I can’t see how you keep them all happy.
“The big question is whether Lukaku on his own can tip the title odds in Chelsea’s favour ahead of Manchester City or Liverpool. I think it’s a huge call for one signing to decide the league title and I’d still have Chelsea marginally behind the past two winners but it will allow Tuchel to take a few more risks in games and play on the front foot.”
While he did acknowledge that Lukaku had improved vastly from his time during Manchester United, Murphy is still not convinced that his signing is enough for Chelsea to go all the way in the Premier League.
“It strengthens his options and I am looking forward to seeing an even better Lukaku than the one who left Manchester United. It’s a brilliant signing for Chelsea but I would still like to see how the team evolves before I predict it will make them champions this season,” he wrote.
While Murphy is right to err on the side of the caution, there is no question over Chelsea’s title credentials this season. The Blues won the UEFA Champions League last term and have since managed to improve their squad with a top signing like Lukaku. Judging by their performances in the first two games, they should be right up there come the end of the season.
