Romelu Lukaku's club performances - ranked

Few strikers are as polarising in 2024 as Romelu Lukaku.

The record goalscorer for the Belgium national team has 309 club goals to his name heading into the summer 2024 transfer window, boasting the sort of numbers most players can only dream of. However, that hasn't exactly translated into success or popularity.

Here's a ranking of Lukaku's performances with each of his seven clubs throughout his career so far.

7. Chelsea

Appearances: 59
Goals: 15

Feels like an obvious place to start.

Chelsea have spent a combined £107.5m to sign Lukaku twice but have clearly seen nowhere near the sort of return they would have expected for that sort of outlay.

Lukaku's first spell at Chelsea perhaps came too soon as the teenager openly complained about his lack of minutes, while his second quickly descended into disaster with an interview that destroyed his relationship with fans just months after arriving.

To get just 15 goals, eight of which came in the Premier League, is the cherry on top of this bitterly disappointing cake.

6. Roma

Appearances: 47
Goals: 21

Lukaku's time at Roma was absolutely fine but, let's be honest, you're going to forget he even played there in a few years.

Having burned his bridges with the other Serie A giants, Lukaku joined Jose Mourinho at a Roma side who were very much in a battle to qualify for the Champions League. They lived up to that good-not-great billing and Lukaku pulled his weight with 13 goals in 32 Serie A games.

He did, however, draw a blank in the late stages of the Europa League, before Roma decided not to pursue a permanent transfer.

5. Man Utd

Appearances: 96
Goals: 42

Manchester United paid an initial £75m, plus £15m in add-ons, to sign Lukaku. To only last two seasons is obviously disappointing, but there's some important context here.

A return of 42 goals in 96 games is pretty decent, especially when you remember Lukaku was battling an undiagnosed stomach issue which saw him gain weight and lose natural fitness. He clearly looked a shell of himself and played that way for a large part of his final year at Old Trafford.

Despite his struggles, Lukaku still managed to hand United £74m back when he joined Inter in 2019. United effectively made their money back on a striker who scored a very decent number of goals across two years. As flops go, you take that every day of the week.

4. Anderlecht

Appearances: 98
Goals: 41

It's worth remembering just how much excitement Lukaku generated when he burst on to the scene with Anderlecht. At just 16 years old, he finished as the Belgian top flight's top goalscorer.

Here was this physical freak, bullying grown men and actually making a dominant impact on the pitch with 41 goals in 98 games. To do all that while still having to abide by a firm bedtime is mental.

Comparisons to Didier Drogba were fair and justified from a period of Lukaku's career which can only be looked back on fondly.

3. West Brom

Appearances: 38
Goals: 17

It was during a loan spell with West Bromwich Albion in 2012/13 that Lukaku really stood up and made sure the world knew who he was.

Having struggled to make an impact on his arrival to England with Chelsea, Lukaku flourished when handed more freedom by West Brom. He scored 17 goals, finishing as the Premier League's sixth-highest scorer and bagging more than any player managed back at Chelsea. A hat-trick in Sir Alex Ferguson's final match as United manager was a well-deserved memory.

Lukaku helped West Brom finish eighth. The season after he left, they dropped down to 17th. That's what we call 'impact'.

2. Everton

Appearances: 166
Goals: 87

Lukaku joined Everton on loan before sealing a £28m permanent move in 2014, having firmly established himself as one of the best strikers on the planet.

In four Premier League seasons at Goodison Park, Lukaku bagged 15, 10, 18 and 25 goals, breaking all sorts of record both internally at Everton and across the wider division. Perhaps most significantly, he became the youngest player to ever reach 80 Premier League goals and most were certain he could break Alan Shearer's all-time record if he wanted to stick around.

Chelsea wanted him back, or rather Antonio Conte did, but United won the race for his signature, earning Everton a monster profit in the process.

1. Inter

Appearances: 132
Goals: 78

For all the goals in his career, the 2009/10 Belgian league title was the only trophy to which Lukaku contributed before his move to Inter in 2019.

He overcame his stomach issue, scored a boatload of goals under Conte and won the Serie A title, Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana, before sealing a return to Chelsea at a time in which people were debating whether he would be a better signing than Erling Haaland. Hindsight, eh?

After struggling at Chelsea, Lukaku made a return to Inter on loan but watched his icon status crumble at his feet. A poor showing in the 2023 Champions League final, coupled with a surprise decision to flirt with Juventus while Inter were negotiating his permanent return, saw things end on a sour note.

Nevertheless, Lukaku's time at Inter will be remembered for goals, trophies and dominance.

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