Lukaku situation goes from bad to worse for Chelsea as striker pushes for Spurs move

Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel was left relieved on Sunday afternoon, as his decision to drop Romelu Lukaku from the squad entirely was somewhat justified as the Blues played out a 2-2 draw with Liverpool. 

The result will be welcomed by Blues fans, as they had watched their side go 2-0 down inside 26 minutes thanks to goals from Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah.

Tuchel’s side battled back bravely towards the end of the first half however, and goals from Mateo Kovacic and Christian Pulisic drew them level.

The second-half was relatively uninspiring and remained goalless, although a draw did few favours for either side as Manchester City remain ten points clear at the top of the Premier League table.

Lukaku’s omission from the match day squad came in the wake of a leaked interview in which the striker admitted that he wasn’t happy with his bit-part role at the club during the early part of this season.

Lukaku’s £100 million price tag gave him no guarantees and the former Manchester United man even revealed that he is keen to return to former club Inter Milan.

Lukaku’s second spell in SW6 could be coming to a premature end

The interview has not been well received by Tuchel, who stated that the club had not authorised it.

Now, there are further developments that will do little to bridge the rift between Lukaku and the Chelsea fans.

As per Gazzetta dello Sport, the Belgium international is keen on a reunion with former manager Antonio Conte at Tottenham Hotspur.

Conte managed Lukaku for two seasons in Italy, and the pair won the Serie A title together last season, the club’s first in a decade.

Now that the 28-year-old has fuelled speculation of a premature end to his second spell at Stamford Bridge, talk has turned to where his next destination could be, and Spurs could be candidates with Harry Kane’s future still uncertain.

Spurs boss Conte has also recently called on his employers to back him financially in the January transfer window.

While Chelsea forked out a club-record £100 million for Lukaku over the summer, his mediocre start to his second spell with the club means they are unlikely to recoup anywhere near the sum that they paid for him.

The striker has seven goals in 18 appearances so far this term, and has also missed several weeks through injury.

With crisis talks between Tuchel and Lukaku pencilled in for Monday afternoon, the situation may well become much clearer, although where the player’s future likes remains to be seen.