Joe Cole has voiced his opposition to Chelsea’s decision to allow Romelu Lukaku to leave the club, especially as the club’s struggles in front of goal persist.
The criticism comes in the wake of Chelsea’s 2-0 home defeat to Brentford, marking the fourth occasion this season where they failed to score.
Despite spending over £1 billion in the transfer market since the club’s takeover last year, Chelsea’s attacking woes have been evident. The team has scored just 13 goals in the Premier League, sharing the joint-11th-best record with Wolves.
The Blues sent Lukaku out on loan to Roma for the season, where the forward has scored eight goals in ten appearances, and Cole questions the decision to part ways with him.
“With Romelu Lukaku, for all of his faults, he was in the door. He was a success at Inter Milan, he scored goals at Everton and West Brom in this country, why couldn’t he score goals at Chelsea? What was wrong? He is scoring goals now for Roma. So we have to look within ourselves, what is wrong with this club at the moment?”
Chelsea’s difficulties in breaking down teams using a low block system have persisted from previous managerial reigns, and the lack of a prolific striker is evident. With Armando Broja as the only alternative to Nicolas Jackson upfront, Cole suggests Chelsea could explore options in the January transfer window.
While Lukaku’s departure was influenced by his own actions, with the player having reportedly refused to turn up to training, his impactful performances in Italy have emphasised his goal-scoring capabilities when provided with the right conditions. The question remains whether Chelsea could have retained Lukaku to bolster their attacking options and address their current issues in front of goal.
