‘It hasn’t worked out for him’ Alan Shearer pinpoints the Chelsea player who Thomas Tuchel didn’t want the club to sign
Alan Shearer believes Thomas Tuchel did not want to recruit Romelu Lukaku for Chelsea because the Belgian does not work hard enough for the manager’s style.
Lukaku returned to Stamford Bridge for £97 million during the summer transfer window, with many expecting him to spearhead the Blues’ Premier League title drive.
The former Manchester United player, who has only scored five league goals this season, was disciplined by the club in December after a controversial interview in which he claimed he wants to return to Inter Milan.
Tuchel has increasingly relied on Kai Havertz to spearhead his attack over Lukaku, with Premier League icon Shearer questioning if the latter meets the manager’s expectations of his players.
“They spent an awful lot of money for him. I thought he was going to be a game changer for Chelsea this season,” Shearer told BBC Sport ahead of Chelsea’s FA Cup clash with Middlesbrough.
“It hasn’t worked out for him, five league goals, 12 league starts. I just think at times the system that Chelsea play is not suited to him.
“We saw his devastating form at Inter but of course he was up alongside [Lautaro] Martinez there and that sorted of suited him better. He is not the type of guy who wants to press and work hard.”
Last summer, Lukaku was Chelsea’s only major permanent addition, with Saul Niguez joining on a season-long loan from Atletico Madrid.
When asked if the decision to bring Lukaku back to west London was Tuchel’s first choice, Shearer said:
“I get the impression that he wasn’t a player that the manager perhaps wanted,” Shearer said.
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‘It hasn’t worked out for him’ Alan Shearer pinpoints the Chelsea player who Thomas Tuchel didn’t want the club to sign
