Following a very hectic summer, Romelu Lukaku agreed to sign with AS Roma on loan from Chelsea until the end of the season.
Lured to the club by José Mourinho, the striker has found some form in Italy once again, which is exactly what the Blues will have wanted.
However, AS Roma will struggle to keep him beyond the current season unless they qualify for the Champions League, which is what Gazzetta dello Sport look at on Monday among other things surrounding the Chelsea loanee.
It’s pointed out that the cost of the loan and Lukaku’s wages are costing the Serie A side ‘around €20m’ this season, and there could be some who are asking whether that money might have been better spent on signing a player permanently.
However, the answer to that will come down to whether the Chelsea man can help fire Daniele De Rossi’s squad to the Champions League, because if he does, those €20m will look like a good investment.
If they fail in that task, then it will be as if AS Roma took those €20m and ‘threw them away’, with his passage at the club leaving no ‘tangible trace’.
Something to keep in mind for Chelsea, but also for the Italians, who are trying to finish the season in style after moving on from Mourinho.
Lukaku, down his end, has 15 goals in 29 appearances in all competitions for Roma, which can be added to two assists.
