Chelsea's Rumoured Romelu Lukaku Interest Shows Holes in Blues' Transfer Policy
If Chelsea value Romelu Lukaku at £68 million, it begs the question of why the club ever sold him to Everton in the first place.
It was just two seasons ago that the Belgian made a loan move to Goodison Park permanent with what we believed to be a healthy £28 million transfer. But now Chelsea are trying to cover up their mistake by buying him back for more than double that price.
It beggars belief.
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According to the Evening Standard, Lukaku is now braced to force through his move back to west London by handing in a transfer request as Chelsea and Everton haggle over the finer points of a potential deal. The Toffees are reportedly demanding £75 million for the front man, while Chelsea value Lukaku slightly less at £67 million.
Regardless of the different views in the price, it's an obscene amount of money. What Chelsea are faced with now is smashing the British transfer record for a player they once called their own.
It didn't have to be this way. Indeed, it shouldn't have been this way.
Lukaku was signed for a mere £15 million in 2011 when Andre Villas-Boas was manager. We say mere as his value has inflated beyond all recognition since that time, potentially making him one of the world's most expensive strikers should he rejoin the Blues.
That initial fee Chelsea paid Anderlecht is looking like daylight robbery; the Belgians must be kicking themselves given the figures being quoted for Lukaku now.
Back then he was a raw 18-year-old, and what Chelsea were paying for was potential. Now it seems that potential should have come at a much higher premium.
If Chelsea were getting a bargain five years ago, though, they've shot themselves in the foot since. Successive managers didn't give him enough of a chance, and it's Everton who are reaping the benefits whether he is sold or not.
Should Lukaku stay at Goodison, Ronald Koeman has a deadly striker to lead the line; should he leave, the club are going to be handsomely rewarded.
While we can quibble over the price Chelsea are looking to pay for the 23-year-old, more pertinent is the question of why and how Chelsea allowed him to leave in the first place. Bringing Lukaku back for more than the £28 million they sold him for raises big doubts about the club's transfer policy.
Lukaku's departure was a result of Diego Costa's arrival from Atletico Madrid shortly ahead of the 2014 World Cup. The Spain international's arrival that summer meant Lukaku's chances were going to be limited at Chelsea, so rather than give him another loan move, they cashed in.
Two years down the line, that decision is looking a big mistake. Lukaku has flourished into one of Europe's most prolific marksmen and Chelsea will have to foot the bill for it if they want him back.
Like with Nemanja Matic before him, if Lukaku is the answer to Chelsea's problems, why sell him in the first place? Why not allow—and trust, for that matter—the vastly talented coaching staff at Stamford Bridge to nurture his talents?
Lukaku's progress highlights a fundamental problem at Chelsea. Regardless of their talent, there comes a point when young players can no longer prosper at the club. There's a major failing in bridging the gap from young pretender to first-team regular, and it's hitting Chelsea in the pocket.
It happened with Lukaku and Matic, and, lest we forget, Kevin De Bruyne. Manchester City signed De Bruyne from Wolfsburg for £55 million last summer, 18 months after Chelsea deemed him surplus and shipped him back to the Bundesliga.
A big part of these failings is the environment Chelsea have built. The Stamford Bridge dressing room doesn't allow for mistakes; if a player doesn't have a profile, he's discarded as quickly as you can quote his transfer fee.
Chelsea's focus has become about short-term success. We've seen that much in the past decade where Roman Abramovich's deep pockets have allowed the Blues to buy their way out of trouble.
Striker not scoring goals? Fine, we'll buy a new one. Midfielder no longer creative enough? Fine, we'll buy a new one. Team getting too old? Fine, we'll buy younger models.
Despite dominating domestic youth-team football in the past five years—the past two in Europe if we're including Chelsea's back-to-back UEFA Youth League successes—we're still to see any real impact of the investment that Chelsea have made in their academy.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek is still flirting with the notion of being a first-team player—his progress not helped by managers changing his position. He's yet to reach his 21st birthday, yet Loftus-Cheek has played in defensive midfield, as a No. 10 and this summer, as a striker.
For too long Chelsea have sought answers to their problems by investing in other clubs and not their own. They've gone for experience over youth and have never found a blend to allow both to flourish.
In the season before Lukaku left Chelsea, Jose Mourinho's front line struggled. The Blues' goalscorers were an ageing Samuel Eto'o, a misfiring Fernando Torres and the equally disappointing Demba Ba.
While the trio were busy—or not, as was the case—scoring 32 goals between them that campaign, the 21-year-old Lukaku hit more than half of that tally himself while on loan at a mediocre Everton side, finishing up with 17.
When Lukaku departed in 2014, Loic Remy and Didier Drogba were added to the squad. For Drogba's leadership and presence in the dressing room alone, his return was inspired, despite his age; as for Remy, why wasn't a player such as Lukaku considered to play back-up to Costa?
There doesn't seem to be a plan in place for Chelsea to bring through their young players. The club seems to be taking the scattergun approach; they're slinging mud at the wall and hoping something sticks.
That happened with Thibaut Courtois, whose three-year loan with Atletico Madrid has made him Chelsea's No. 1 goalkeeper. Outside of him and Loftus-Cheek, however, which other young players have been afforded enough chances to become established?
By throwing money at the problems they have, Chelsea's transfer policy is eating itself. The profits they're making on discarding players who haven't made the grade are being spent to bring back those they shouldn't have sold in the first place.
Just by attempting to re-sign Lukaku for the price they're offering is proof enough of where Chelsea are going wrong.
There is hope with Antonio Conte's appointment this cycle is about to be broken. Already in pre-season we've seen Nathaniel Chalobah and Ola Aina given chances, and they've impressed. The manager seems to like them, and he appears more willing than some to work with emerging players as he is with the established stars.
Chelsea have signed just two players this summer, and if the additions outside of Lukaku are not many more, it will open space in Conte's squad for those youngsters to develop.
If Chelsea continue to let talent slip through their grasp unnecessarily, there are going to be many more Lukakus.
Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes
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