Goals were up significantly for Chelsea in the Premier League last season, having netted a measly 38 goals in the 2022/23 term – averaging just one goal per game – and scoring 63 in the 2023/24 campaign.
However, Chelsea are still yet to have a striker hit 15+ Premier League goals since 2019/20, when academy graduate Tammy Abraham scored 15 goals in a Premier League season, having been trusted to lead the line by Frank Lampard.
Nicolas Jackson was solid if unspectacular after arriving from Villarreal, making 44 appearances for the Blues in all competitions, scoring 17 goals and providing six assists. It’s fair to say he turned out to be a better option than the costly transfer of Romelu Lukaku…
Romelu Lukaku’s first spell at Chelsea
Lukaku was one of the strikers tasked with filling the boots of Didier Drogba, having two spells at the club, and even being compared to the Chelsea legend on multiple occasions, including once by Alan Pardew, who called Lukaku a “full number nine” who could “emulate” what Drogba has done.
Lukaku first joined Chelsea back in 2011, the Blues signing him for around £20m from Belgian side, Anderlecht. The young Belgian was given substitute minutes in his first year, before getting a loan move to West Brom in 2012/13, where he really began to bare his teeth.
First Impressions
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The Belgian made 38 appearances for West Brom, scoring 17 goals, providing four assists, and totaling 2,252 minutes played. The following season, Lukaku missed a penalty for Mourinho’s Chelsea in the Super Cup final, before making a move to Everton on loan to continue his progression.
Lukaku again showed his ability to score regularly in the Premier League, scoring 15 goals in 31 appearances, also providing seven assists.
The following campaign, Chelsea decided to cash in on the red-hot striker, selling him to Everton on a permanent deal for around £28m.
Lukaku’s second spell at Chelsea
Having spent many years away from Stamford Bridge, playing for Everton, Manchester United, and then Inter Milan, Chelsea decided in 2021 that the missing piece for Thomas Tuchel’s Champions League-winning side was the Belgian forward, who had just netted 30 goals for Inter in 2020/21.
This saw the Londoners break their club record transfer fee, acquiring the striker for a colossal price tag of £97.5m. The Belgian got off to a great start, scoring against Arsenal in their 2-0 victory at the Emirates, putting in a dominant display and bullying the Gunners’ defence.
However, in an interview, Lukaku spoke publicly about his disappointment at Chelsea, having just joined a few months prior, saying he was “not happy” with Tuchel’s system and use of him, before mentioning a return to Inter Milan.
This became the catalyst for the hulking attacker’s demise at the club, with the German boss unhappy with the comments from the Belgian, and Chelsea fans now turning against him.
This saw the now 31-year-old return to Inter on loan in the 2022/23 season, as many deemed his Chelsea career already over.
After multiple loan moves, Lukaku was finally sold this summer by Todd Boehly, joining Napoli for £30m, and eventually shutting the book on one of Chelsea’s worst transfers of all time.