Enzo Maresca urged to keep Romelu Lukaku as new Chelsea theory emerges

Out-of-favour Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku could be set for an unexpected return to Stamford Bridge after catching the eye with his performances at Euro 2024. Despite not yet finding the back of the net in Germany, the Belgian has been unlucky with three goals disallowed by VAR, which may have convinced Chelsea’s hierarchy to give him another chance.

Ex-Chelsea forward Tony Cascarino believes a discussion about Lukaku’s future could be on the cards with new manager Enzo Maresca. The Italian – who joined from Leicester City earlier this summer – has a new squad on his hands, and with it a gleaming opportunity to start afresh.

This could be good news for Lukaku, 31, who has spent the last two seasons out on loan but still has two years left on his contract. And football.london reported how talkSPORT’s Natalie Sawyer spotted Chelsea’s official website has been publishing match reports on Lukaku’s Euro 2024 results with Belgium, recently praising his display in their 2-0 victory over Romania.

If Maresca and the board are trying to win over Lukaku, this could be one strategy to get him back on side. The player has spoken openly about his love for the Blues in the past, though there’s also a chance some bridges may be burned in light of his previous rejections.

Lukaku has had two stints at Chelsea spanning a total of six years, but he’s only made 59 appearances for the club amid repeat loans elsewhere. However, with a new manager stepping in, there could be a glimmer of hope for the first major team to put faith in his abilities.

“First thing I would say [is] this is on the new coach that’s coming in,” said Cascarino. “If you’re going to sit down and you want him. . .because first of all you have to ask the question. You’ve got to say to Romelu Lukaku, ‘You’re back here, there’s [offers] on the table’… but you’re asking the question, ‘I want you to stay if you’re prepared and you want to stay at this football club and give it a go, because I think I can get a tune out of you.’

“If you ask the question and he says, ‘Nah I’d prefer to leave,’ then you haven’t got a discussion at all. You never want to take a player who thinks he’s doing you a favour being at your club. You want a player to say, ‘I want to play. I want to prove myself to the Chelsea fans.'”

It wouldn’t be surprising if Lukaku felt disheartened about pursuing his dream at Stamford Bridge, having been sold by the club once and loaned out on four occasions. However, he clearly still possesses some scoring prowess given he scored 21 goals in 47 appearances for Roma last season.

Chelsea are reportedly on the hunt for a new striker this summer following Nicolas Jackson’s struggles to carry the team’s attack load last season. Given the club’s current financial constraints and the reduced fee they would likely receive for an older Lukaku, it may be in their best interest to maximise his potential while he’s still on their books.