5 Reasons Why Chelsea Should Have Kept Romelu Lukaku

2. Proven Class

Of the three big-name strikers that Chelsea currently have on their books €“ all of whom have cost Abramovich a princely total of £106 million - none of them have fared as impressively in the goal-scoring charts as the Belgian hitman in the last couple of seasons. Having been farmed out on loan to West Brom following eight feeble and raw displays in the 11/12 season, following his blockbuster £18 million move from Anderlecht, he subsequently notched 17 league goals. To prove that it was no fluke, he almost repeated the feat €“ scoring 15 in 31 appearances for Everton last term. Fernando Torres has been at the club since January 2011, and has managed a meagre five more league goals in his entire stay at the club than Lukaku managed in nine months at Goodison Park. Diego Costa is an unproven quantity in England as of yet €“ with Stamford Bridge proving to be an arena for big-money flops in the past. Finally, Didier Drogba is no longer in his pomp and hasn€™t managed to bag more than 11 goals in a league season since the last time Chelsea won the league in 2010. Lukaku€™s stats for a 21 year old are frightening. Compared to former fellow wonderkids Wayne Rooney, Michael Owen and Lionel Messi, it was the lethal Belgian who amassed the most amount of league goals before blowing out the candles on his 21st birthday cake. While it may be pointed out that 33 of Lukaku€™s 65 league goals came in the relatively weak league of his hometown, the fact that he had scored eight more goals than the Barcelona maestro at the same age, is certainly a feather in Romelu€™s cap. There is no denying that Torres has been floundering at Stamford Bridge for some time, and even as an impact sub, his efforts don€™t exactly befit the superlative. While Lukaku was never going to be a first-choice striker at the club following Costa€™s mega-bucks arrival, he proved to the world that he can be a potent super-sub. Unleashed from the bench against the tiring legs of the USA in a World Cup last 16 encounter, Lukaku promptly set up Kevin de Bruyne for the opener before firing past Everton team-mate Tim Howard for what proved to be the winner. He is proven class.