Chelsea forward Romelu Lukaku is exploring his options ahead of this summer transfer window after a lack of game time at Stamford Bridge, according to Goal.
The 28-year-old made just 13 starts in the Premier League this season, which is far below what anyone had expected when he first joined on a club-record deal.
He now mostly plays a backup role, having only made one start in the last month.
Instead, Kai Havertz is now Thomas Tuchel’s preferred option in the number nine role.
The fact that Lukaku has struggled to even make the starting line-up in recent games despite Havertz’s six-game goalless run illustrates his current situation at Chelsea.
Goal claims that Lukaku is unhappy with his lack of game time under Tuchel and is considering other options this summer.
His preferred option would be to stay and have a successful spell at Chelsea, but he “ultimately wants the support from the coaching staff to allow him to flourish”.
The last bit could prove difficult while Tuchel remains in charge, however.
The former Paris Saint-Germain boss seems to have a clear idea of the type of football he wants his team to play at Chelsea, and it is not a counter-attacking style Lukaku thrives on.
A summer exit, while seems sensible, would not be easy for both parties as well.
Chelsea would likely receive just a fraction of what they paid for the striker, while Lukaku would unlikely be able to secure a contract as lucrative as his current one.
On the other hand, it does not really make sense for Chelsea to paying the Belgium international a reported weekly salary of £325,000 for a backup striker.
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