• Young Belgian made one Premier League start last season
• Striker felt unappreciated by André Villas‑Boas
Romelu Lukaku will find himself on trial for his place in the Chelsea squad that begins next season when he plays for the club during their close-season tour of the United States in July.
A little over 12 months ago the Belgium striker was among the most sought-after young talents in Europe, with Chelsea beating off heavy competition to sign him for £18m from Anderlecht. But, after a frustrating debut season in English football, in which he made 12 appearances in all competitions – four of them from the start – and scored no goals, Lukaku will need to impress Chelsea's new manager in the US, where the team will play four friendlies, or face being loaned out.
Lukaku, like everybody, is waiting to discover who the Chelsea owner, Roman Abramovich, appoints as the manager; Roberto Di Matteo, the Champions League-winning interim coach, travelled to Barbados on Thursday for a legends tournament, still in the dark over his prospects.
Lukaku had an axe to grind with André Villas‑Boas, Chelsea's manager at the start of the season who, he felt, used him to fill in the gaps in training matches. Yet the 19-year-old made two appearances under Di Matteo, the second of them his sole Premier League start in the largely meaningless final game of the domestic season against Blackburn Rovers.
He hopes the new season will bring him better luck and he remains determined to make the grade at Chelsea, the club he supported as a boy. But he is receptive to the notion of a loan and would not restrict himself to a rival in the Premier League.
Kevin De Bruyne, his fellow Belgium international, is in a similar situation. The attacking midfielder, who signed from Genk in January for £7m only to remain at the Belgian club for the second half of the season, where he found the form of his career, will seek to impress in the US. The 20-year-old is realistic about his chances of regular first-team football at Stamford Bridge and he is willing to go on loan to aid his development.
Lukaku and De Bruyne have seen how Chelsea's other Belgian, the goalkeeper Thibaud Courtois, has benefited from a loan. Courtois excelled for Atlético Madrid over the past season, establishing himself as a first-choice selection and finishing as a Europa League winner. Courtois wants to stay for another season at Atlético and he said after the Europa League final victory over Athletic Bilbao that he had Chelsea's permission to negotiate the extended arrangement. Read More
انسخ الكود التالى و ضعه فى موقعك او مدونتك.
