Thierry Henry questioned Chelsea’s decision to re-sign Romelu Lukaku in the summer, with the striker’s struggles continuing at Stamford Bridge.
Romelu Lukaku’s arrival in the summer was supposed to make Chelsea title contenders and help them retain the Champions League crown. Instead, the Belgian star has been out of sorts since the season began while embroiling himself in controversy over an interview, where he lashed out at Thomas Tuchel.
After two fruitful seasons in Serie A with Inter Milan, Lukaku returned to England with his reputation enhanced, having won the Serie A crown. However, the striker has managed just ten goals across 28 appearances in all competitions for Chelsea, with only five coming in the Premier League.
Chelsea might have been in the title race now instead of fighting to finish third this term if he had been consistent in his performances. Despite a slight upturn in his form recently, Lukaku has gone back to old habits after putting in a subdued performance against Crystal Palace at the weekend.
His sub-par display led to Thomas Tuchel dropping him to the bench for their Champions League win over Lille on Tuesday night. For the time being, his future at the club looks bleak despite the manager’s repeated attempts to revive the near £100 million signing.
Former Arsenal star Thierry Henry, while on punditry duty with CBS sport, questioned Chelsea’s wisdom over re-signing the Belgian. Henry’s comments appeared on the Evening Standard, as he advised Lukaku to find a solution to adapt Chelsea’s style quickly.
Henry said, “Right from the start, I raised a question to myself, would he fit into this team? For Rom to adapt to the way Chelsea play, it takes time; it’s not an easy one. Is it normal that he only has seven touches [against Crystal Palace]? No, that’s also not normal, regardless if the coach likes you or not. That shouldn’t happen.
“They need to move forward on that, but it’s a tough one to read. I’ll be honest with you; I don’t know how that happens in 90 minutes. But what’s the solution? The solution is for him to find a solution to make sure he can adapt to the way they play,” he added.
“They like to press, to be active and to change the front three. He likes to stay in the middle, making it very difficult for him to adapt to the situation. But again, why did you go and get him?”
With Lukaku’s struggles seeing no end and questions being asked of him every step of the way, the Belgian finds himself under intense pressure. Whether he is able to turn things around in the coming weeks remains to be seen.