What is best for a player’s development, playing regular football or training with players at a far higher level?
It’s an interesting debate this.
Romelu Lukaku was hailed as Europe’s hottest striking prospect ever since scoring 15 goals at the age of 16 in Belgium’s top flight.
Now 18, it was in August he signed for Chelsea, but has largely been a forgotten man at Stamford Bridge.
It seems clear the decision to sign him was not made by manager Andre Villas-Boas, whether it came from Roman Abramovich is open to interpretation. But it is evident the choice to sign him last summer was a long-term strategic move, wanting to secure his services for the long-term, rather than immediately.
Since arriving at Chelsea he has only made five appearances, mostly as a substitute, and has not scored any goals. He also received a red card for a bad tackle in a Carling Cup game, perhaps a sign of his frustration or eagerness to make an impression.
It is already looking like a wasted season for Lukaku, or is it?
By signing this year, he has been able to train alongside Didier Drogba, a world class forward of a similar stature, build and style, who he one day hopes to replace.
Drogba is probably going to quit Chelsea this summer, so if Chelsea had left the transfer a year, or loaned him back to Belgium, he would not have got this opportunity.
But on the flip-side, is playing so little, after experiencing regular football in his homeland, a good idea for his development? It must be tough mentally, even though he would have known patience was required when signing for Chelsea.
It is fair to argue he deserves a chance to show what he can do at Chelsea, with Fernando Torres and Didier Drogba performing so inconsistently.
Along with Daniel Sturridge, who today has been linked with Arsenal, he could form a strong partnership for Chelsea for many years.
He is a player by virtue of his bulk and build seems ready-made for the Premier League, and will surely be a regular goalscorer in seasons to come.
A concern has to be Chelsea being linked with strikers such as Cavani, Hulk, and Higuain, none of these will probably arrive, but it indicates the club are in the market for a world class striker, which would only stunt his development further.
Being at Chelsea could be good for him in that he may have been getting frustrated at Anderlecht, dealing with continuing transfer speculation and yearning for a move to a top league.
He may still get an opportunity to show what he can do this season, but with Drogba soon to return from international duty, his chances are likely to be even more limited.
Only in future seasons will we really see if this year has been good for him, we just hope that the talent of one of Europe’s most promising strikers is not being wasted.
– What do you think would have been better for Lukaku’s development, coming to Chelsea or staying at Anderlecht for another season?
images: © wshjackson, © wshjackson
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