Chelsea loanee Romelu Lukaku, who is currently plying his trade in the Serie A with Inter Milan once more, could be handed a shock “third chance” to make an impact at Stamford Bridge following Graham Potter’s appointment as manager.
That is according to transfer insider Dean Jones, who has refused to rule out the possibility of the 47-year-old offering the Belgian a chance to reignite his Blues career upon his return from the San Siro next summer.
What’s the word?
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT about the possibility of Potter giving Lukaku the chance to revive his Chelsea career when he returns from Italy, Jones said: “I think Lukaku is an intriguing storyline now. Can you imagine if he gets a third chance to crack it at Chelsea and he actually nails it? It’s kind of one you want to see.
“But we’ll have to see whether that can actually become a reality because, right now, he’s just focusing on getting fit at Inter and he’s just got to take one step at a time to get back to being the player that he was.”
Supporters may be shocked
Supporters may be shocked at the latest assertion surrounding Lukaku’s future.
Having returned to the club in a sensational £97.5m deal last summer, the Belgian failed to deliver the desired impact, which was also hindered by some of his antics off the pitch.
Despite arriving at Chelsea off the back of a sensational Serie A campaign in which he registered 24 goals and 11 assists in 36 appearances, Lukaku was not able to repeat that form upon his return to the Premier League, scoring just eight times (albeit from 10 fewer games).
If given a run of matches, trust by the manager and embedded into a system which suits his style as a traditional target man, the Belgian could shine in a Chelsea shirt, particularly under the tutelage of a meticulous and tactically astute boss like Potter.
The appointment of a new manager could act as a lifeline for Lukaku, who will surely feel as though he has unfinished business at Stamford Bridge.
