Among the issues inherited by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital when taking over Chelsea last May, there was a specific £97.5m-shaped one that stands out. The new owners had no ties to Romelu Lukaku having not signed him in 2021 but they did need to deal with him.
The Belgian had failed spectacularly since returning to the club he joined aged 18 in 2012, being frozen out by Thomas Tuchel and scoring just eight league goals. Only five of those came after the third game of the season.
In an unsanctioned interview with Sky Italia less than a third of the way through the season he had all-but cut the ties with the club. Lukaku, who had been struggling for form and fitness due to injury, criticised Tuchel's tactics and spoke glowingly of former side Inter Milan, burning bridges with Chelsea fans who treated him like a king upon his fairytale reunion.
