Romelu Lukaku’s remarkable talent has not gone unnoticed, particularly during his loan spells at West Bromwich last season and Everton this season. Despite being criticized by the English press for allowing Lukaku to leave during pre-season training, Chelsea’s manager, José Mourinho, faced scrutiny. However, Lukaku recently clarified in a British daily that it was his own decision to go on loan again, not Mourinho’s directive.
Expressing his concerns about securing a place in Chelsea’s lineup, Lukaku stated, “I didn’t know if I was going to get a place at Chelsea, so I asked the manager to let me go. It wasn’t José Mourinho who told me to leave, but it was my decision. There comes a time when you have to think about yourself, to get playing time to prove your worth to become one of the best strikers in the championship. Of course, I could have stayed, to fight for my place, but when you are just 20 years old, you need to play. That’s what I did.”
Lukaku dismissed any criticism directed at Mourinho for his departure, emphasizing that it was his own choice. The Belgian international acknowledged that not playing for a year at Chelsea had cost him his place in the national team, a position he is eager to reclaim.
Addressing the constant comparison with Chelsea legend Didier Drogba, Lukaku concurred with Mourinho’s assessment, saying, “I agree with him 100% when he says that I am not Drogba. If I continue to deliver performances, people will analyze my statistics and see that there is a big difference between Drogba and me. There has never been a target man as good as him, but I want to be a more complete player, with several strings to his bow.” Lukaku aspires to develop into a well-rounded player rather than simply following in Drogba’s footsteps.
