Romelu Lukaku's future at Chelsea has been thrown into doubt following the release of a remarkable interview in which he admitted that he is unhappy at Stamford Bridge.
The 28-year-old questioned manager Thomas Tuchel's supposed change of system after losing his place as the focal point of the team, and expressed his desire to return to former club Inter Milan while still in his prime.
The news comes less than five months after Lukaku moved back to Stamford Bridge in a deal worth almost £100m, making him the club's record signing.
However, with his future now hanging in the balance, the Sports Mole team discuss whether the Blues should cash in on the Belgium international.
Barney Corkhill, Editor
"Thomas Tuchel is the type of manager who will not be shy in dealing with the situation as he sees fit, regardless of whether pressure is coming from the player or those above him.
"However, the Chelsea boss also summed the situation up concisely when stressing that, while the comments were not helpful, they should also not be blown out of proportion. The interview was careless at best, but the timing of its release made his quotes seem far worse - just when Chelsea were struggling with coronavirus issues and ahead of a crucial title battle with Liverpool.
"Lukaku cannot get away from the fact that he did do the interview, though, and the bombshell quotes which emerged came directly out of his mouth, with little room for misinterpretation. The interview itself should not be enough to end Lukaku's Chelsea career, but how he reacts to the fallout could define his future.
"I would be surprised if Chelsea did immediately cut ties with a player who became their most expensive ever just half a year ago, but they have at least proved that they can cope without him if Tuchel does decide to make more of an example of the Belgian."
Matt Law, Football Editor
"Romelu Lukaku will score plenty of goals for Chelsea if he stays at the club on a long-term basis, but the Blues play better football without him in the side, with the game against Liverpool being another example.
"It would be a huge surprise if Chelsea decided to sell him this year, especially as he has decreased his own value by giving the surprise interview, but it remains to be seen whether he is capable of leading the team to glory.
"If I were the decision-maker, I would get him back in the side for the rest of the season and then review the situation this summer, depending on the availability of other strikers."
Darren Plant, Senior Reporter
"In a perfect world, Chelsea would be able to say arrivederci to Romelu Lukaku and send him back to Inter Milan. But the football world is rarely perfect, and Chelsea have a real problem on their hands if they cannot reintegrate the Belgian back into the first-team squad and in favour with the club's supporters.
"Lukaku is no longer a £97.5m asset. He's now a disgruntled player five months short of his 29th birthday who has performed nowhere near his price-tag, and any interested clubs are aware that Chelsea cannot realistically hold out for the fee that they shelled out last summer.
"If everyone is sensible, the European champions may be able to recoup somewhere in the region of £70m-£80m, but it would need to come at the end of the season when a striker merry-go-round could materialise.
"The next few days could determine whether Lukaku has a future at Stamford Bridge, but do the majority of Chelsea fans want a player in their squad who has already demonstrated a clear lack of loyalty in an orchestrated interview? No, and cashing in should be the only way forward."
Ben Knapton, Senior Reporter
"Chelsea supporters have every right to express their frustrations at Romelu Lukaku – the £97m man who was supposed to spearhead their charge to the title. However, there is still the opportunity for the Belgian to win the fans back over, but this time, his talking has to be done on the pitch.
"Take Granit Xhaka for example – the Arsenal man is a staple of the first XI despite his foul-mouthed outburst a couple of years back – although he is still not entirely popular with the whole fanbase.
"One can respect that these are two completely different situations, but Lukaku's Chelsea career is certainly not dead and buried just yet. It is now up to him to prove that."
Oliver Thomas, Reporter
"Romelu Lukaku's comments about his current situation at Chelsea and his desire to return to Inter Milan are certainly not helpful for the Blues and Thomas Tuchel, especially with his interview taking place less than five months after his reported £97.5m transfer back to Stamford Bridge.
"However, if Lukaku is to remain professional, respect his contract and give his all when on the pitch – doing what he does best by scoring goals – then the Belgian should get back into the good books of the vast majority of Chelsea fans.
"Chelsea would struggle to recoup the club-record fee they splashed out on the striker over the summer, so a potential exit for the 28-year-old in January seems unlikely."
Sammy Wynne, Reporter
"Not quite yet in January. Having brought the 28-year-old back to Stamford Bridge for a fee in the region of £98m, I don't think he is worth anywhere near that figure at the moment.
"Thomas Tuchel is a good enough man manager to integrate him back into the side for the remaining months of this season, and then Chelsea should sell him for a higher price in the summer.
"He has currently scored five goals in 13 Premier League appearances, and I think he needs to be well into double figures for his value to increase and make it a worthwhile deal for the Blues."
Joshua Ojele, Reporter
"Romelu Lukaku has not only disrespected the club, his teammates and the manager, but also the fans who were thrilled about his return to the Bridge.
"While offloading the Belgian might prove a little difficult, considering his transfer fee and hefty wages, I would personally show him the door at the first opportunity. No-one is bigger than the club."
Jonathan O'Shea, Reporter
"Despite the major outlay on Lukaku during the last transfer window, there seems to be a lack of definition to what Chelsea signed him for. Having seen him revel in his roles with Inter and Belgium, why buy a player to be a traditional centre-forward when it doesn't suit his game?
"I have a feeling Tuchel will reintegrate him within the next week, though - the Chelsea coach is capable of holding a grudge, but is also pragmatic. However, winning over a sceptical fanbase will be more challenging.
"Inter cannot afford him in any case, and their supporters have already moved on, given Edin Dzeko and Lautaro Martinez's fluent partnership this term. That ship has sailed for Rom, while other top clubs will be chasing Erling Braut Haaland and Dusan Vlahovic, so he'd better get his head down and make it work at the Bridge."
Matthew Tranter, Reporter
"However much I think Lukaku's Chelsea career is all but over now after that interview, with little way back from it, it would be almost impossible to do a deal of that magnitude in January.
"Therefore, I think they need to try and repair the relationship and integrate him back into the side as best as possible to ensure they remain competitive in the title race for the remainder of the season, before looking to cash in on him in the summer and then go all out for Erling Haaland as his replacement."
James Mackenzie, Reporter
"Lukaku is increasingly giving the impression that he considers the grass to forever be greener on the other side.
"He has caused some form of drama at almost every club he has played for now and, whilst he claims to have been trying to repair the relationship with the Inter fans during that now-infamous interview, surely the relationship with your current fans is more important...
"Even as a Liverpool fan, I sincerely hope that if this situation reaches a point where either he or Tuchel must go, that Abramovich backs his manager for once."
Ben Sully, Reporter
"No, the Belgian is unquestionably one of the best strikers in Europe, and getting rid after a matter of months would be an emotional decision rather than a rational one.
"The interview that Lukaku conducted was ill-advised, but in my opinion Thomas Tuchel ensured the issue remained in the headlines by leaving the striker out against Liverpool, which only added fuel to the fire.
"Cashing in on Lukaku now does not make financial sense as it would be impossible for Chelsea to recoup the fee they paid for the striker back in the summer, and the cost of finding an adequate replacement would be obscene.
"On the pitch, Lukaku has not yet reached the heights he did at Inter, but there is no question that he will begin to find the net with on a more consistent basis in the second half of the season, and he is the type of player that will be crucial if Chelsea are to claim any silverware this term."
Olly Allen, Reporter
"Only if the striker is dead-set on leaving. His interview was incredibly poorly-judged, but it was done a month ago when he wasn't being picked by Thomas Tuchel. Since then, Lukaku has shown how important he can be to Chelsea with two goals in two games.
"Everyone knows how deadly he is when at his best and as long as bridges have not already been burnt, he should be used as the Blues' talisman."
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