Can Chelsea recall Romelu Lukaku in January?

Chelsea are not able to recall Romelu Lukaku from his loan at Inter in January, which threatens to leave the Blues light up front for the rest of the season unless they bring in someone new.

As well as allowing Lukaku to re-join Inter, Chelsea sold both Timo Werner and Michy Batshuayi during the summer, only brining in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang by way of a replacement.

The Stamford Bridge club have also been hit with the recent blow that back-up striker Armando Broja has suffered an ACL injury and won’t play again until next season.

Chelsea paid a huge new club record £97.5m to buy Lukaku from Inter in the summer of 2021, marking his return to west London after mixed spells at Everton and Manchester United.

The Belgian powerhouse had scored 64 goals in 95 appearances for Inter across all competitions and had always felt there was unfinished business at Chelsea after failing to make the expected impact when he first joined the club as a teenager in 2011.

However, things didn’t go to plan back with the Blues. Lukaku initially started well, only for his form to desert him, followed by a six-game injury absence. Later came an incendiary interview in Italy in which he expressed his discontent at Chelsea and expressed a desire to return to Inter. He apologised for the comments, but the damage was already done and his form never recovered.

Inter agreed in June to pay an initial €8m to take Lukaku back to San Siro for the duration of the 2022/23 season, potentially rising to €10m if certain add-ons were triggered. So far, injuries have ensured he has barely played for the Nerazzurri, scoring only once in Serie A.

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Behind Aubameyang, Chelsea’s best options up front are Kai Havertz, who has been known to play as a ‘number nine’ in the past but has primarily been used as a ‘number 10’ this season, and Raheem Sterling, who has been known to be a ‘false nine’.

Chelsea are on course to land Christopher Nkunku from RB Leipzig, but the prolific forward missed the World Cup through injury and is not expected to arrive until the summer.

90min understands Chelsea already had plans to enter the market for a forward in January before Broja’s injury. The Blues have ambitious targets in Rafael Leao, who AC Milan are not prepared to let go mid-season, and Joao Felix. Free agent Cristiano Ronaldo also hasn’t been ruled by co-owner Todd Boehly, but he will defer to coach Graham Potter, who is less keen.

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