Lukaku has largely struggled at Inter this season, but a statistic has emerged that puts players at parent club Chelsea to shame
Lukaku celebrates scoring a goal for Inter Milan (Image: Marco Bucco/LaPresse via AP)
Romelu Lukaku’s long-term future remains very much a mystery after a frustrating couple of seasons on the pitch.
Lukaku made the switch back to Inter from Chelsea on a season-long loan deal almost 12 months ago after his £97.5 million move from the San Siro a year earlier. The Belgium international has not been able to make the same impact this time around at Inter, though, largely enduring a disappointing campaign back in Italy.
In fact, in February, Lukaku was even called out by Inter CEO Giuseppe Marotta for his weight, after being left on the bench for a Champions League tie with Porto. Marotta said: “Lukaku is on the bench as he has 103kg to carry. He has to be physically fit. He’s not yet 100% fit.”
Since then, he has enjoyed a better time of it but is yet to reach double figures for goals in all competitions, a far cry from his last season at Inter when he scored 24 in the league alone as they lifted the Serie A title. But despite his struggles, a damning statistic has emerged regarding Lukaku which highlights the shambles at parent club Chelsea’s season.
Following two goals and an assist against Empoli on Sunday, Lukaku now has more goal contributions this season than anyone in the Chelsea squad. In total, he has 12 goals and assists in all competitions, with Chelsea’s best attacking performers Kai Havertz and Raheem Sterling having ten each.
It has been well documented how much Chelsea have spent this season without bringing in a striker, and that has been emphasised by the sheer lack of goals across the board. And despite Lukaku’s relatively disastrous campaign, he has still managed to contribute more to Inter than anyone has to Chelsea.