If Costa doesn't arrive Mourinho will go for some else most likely Mario Mandzukic he might even go for him even if we do get Costa but i bloody hope not. I just get the feeling Mourinho doesn't rate Lukaku all that highly.

Still only paper talk, but now the Standard are running with the Atletico loan story, but also manage to include the obvious statement that:

 

"Should Lukaku leave on loan as expected, Chelsea will look to offer him a new contract as his current deal only has two years left to run."

 

Atletico Madrid on verge of Romelu Lukaku deal as Diego Costa heads for Chelsea

The article also includes the following quotes from Lukaku:

 

“I only know one thing and that is that, in my opinion, Chelsea are still the biggest club in England and they have a very, very good manager!  I have a contract with Chelsea after this summer and I am not focusing on any move to Atletico.

"Let me say that I am now the complete striker. I never thought I was a target man, a No.9 who could play with his back to the goal. I always wanted to run at defenders. That is still a great quality, but now I can do both. I love playing as a real striker in the box now.

"I have been playing all season for a team (Everton) which has more than 60 percent of the time possession of the ball. Technically I have been improving as a player.

"My concentration is better than ever on finishing, rather than on running with the ball. I am absolutely convinced that moving to Everton was the best step in my career. When you feel everything is working out, it makes you so relaxed and happy as a player in big matches.’’

 

Arrogant? Certainly. But at his age, you'd expect him to be a little full of himself, even more so after a couple of successful seasons on loan. Besides, who really wants a humble striker? Fernando Torres is a nice bloke, family man, Ever so 'umble.

I don't really want him to go on loan again but it would be better than losing him altogether.

Means Ba and Torres would be likely to stay.

If Costa doesn't arrive Mourinho will go for some else most likely Mario Mandzukic he might even go for him even if we do get Costa but i bloody hope not. I just get the feeling Mourinho doesn't rate Lukaku all that highly.

 

I don't think Mourinho dismisses Lukaku, at least I hope not...

The whole notion of loaning him again so he can come back in 2015 in a better position, all seems to be torres related to me.

It will be hard to move torres on this year, it would be to much of a financial hit release him on a free or subsidise his wages on loan. So we may be looking at a costa/torres/3rd next season, and if all goes to plan costa/lukaku/3rd next season.

Thought the point of this loan was so he could come back next year for a spot.

 

If he signs a new contract then I suppose a loan wouldn't be the end of the world but I would rather he got given a chance with us.

A loan to Spain makes no sense at all. Why not keep him in the premier league or better yet, let him f**king play for Chelsea! A loan to Spain is another slap in the face to a young player. I wouldn't blame him if he does want to leave. This club has no clue when it comes to dealing/promoting youth.

He can play for a better side in Spain than England, we won't loan to a title rival but a loan to a side like Atletico means he's playing for a better side.

IF there's any truth to this story, then it could be that Atletico want Lukaku on loan as a sweetener for the Costa deal. In which case the question would be: does the story genuinely emanate from Atletico, or is it another case of the media, both here and in Espagna, putting two and two together to create a story.

 

Having just read Forever Carefree's reply, above, birngs me back to what I wrote about this earlier: if there's any truth to al this, Lukaku gets to play for the current Spanish Champions, take part in next season's Champions League, is expected to return to Stamford Bridge in a season's time, and is anything but surprlus to long-term requirements.

 

But again I have to emphasise that as yet all this is nothing but speculation.

Funny when people still insist on "letting him have a chance at Chelsea". What does that mean? Do you people mean we should have him as our main man? With Torres and Ba. Or Torres and Eto'o. Eto'o scored 9 and Lukaku 15 prem goals but Lukaku basically started all the games.

I really hope we buy Costa. And I really hope Lukaku is brought back as one of our trio. That would mean he finds that one humble bone in his body and thinks about team and not solely himself. If not I don't care if he comes back or not.

Jose is not going to risk this season putting all faith in 20 year old boy with Torres as a backup.

The advantage of Lukaku going on loan to Atletico is Champions League football. He has scored goals in the league which is great but moving him up a level to see how he copes cant be a bad thing.

The advantage of Lukaku going on loan to Atletico is Champions League football. He has scored goals in the league which is great but moving him up a level to see how he copes cant be a bad thing.

It would be bad if he scored and knocked us out though. Guess it's a risk worth taking, although I'd prefer him to go on loan to a champions league club that wouldn't be a threat to be honest. Not that I want to see him out on loan at all.

There is that risk but its not a massive risk. The odds of us playing them are fairly low.

Depends on what he wants, might just say stuff this and not sign a contract then we HAVE to sell.

Doesn't seem to be the kind of player happy to be punted on loan every season either.

Will be interesting to see what happens next with him.

There is that risk but its not a massive risk. The odds of us playing them are fairly low.

I'd imagine it would be lower if they lose Courtois, Costa, Felipe, and tiago!

Funny when people still insist on "letting him have a chance at Chelsea". What does that mean? Do you people mean we should have him as our main man? With Torres and Ba. Or Torres and Eto'o. Eto'o scored 9 and Lukaku 15 prem goals but Lukaku basically started all the games.

I really hope we buy Costa. And I really hope Lukaku is brought back as one of our trio. That would mean he finds that one humble bone in his body and thinks about team and not solely himself. If not I don't care if he comes back or not.

Jose is not going to risk this season putting all faith in 20 year old boy with Torres as a backup.

We'll said, me and you are on the same page with this one

I'd imagine it would be lower if they lose Courtois, Costa, Felipe, and tiago!

Good point!

Lets admit it, we've made a right hash of Lukaku.

I dont agree with that at all.

Lets admit it, we've made a right hash of Lukaku.

 

He's definitely had a part to play in that due to him thinking that he's a LOT better than he actually is.

Have you ever heard of an £18m signing being sent out on loan 2 seasons in a row? Ridiculous.

Have you ever heard of an £18m signing being sent out on loan 2 seasons in a row? Ridiculous.

 

The transfer was an initial £8m rising to a possible £18m depending on certain conditions being met. 

Have you ever heard of an £18m signing being sent out on loan 2 seasons in a row? Ridiculous.

Agree 100%.

Add to that he is an established international for a top-10 country. Can't believe fans are suggesting a loan to Atletico, why not Arsenal down the road? Utterly ridiculous! Seems the only way a youth player would make it here would be to get nominated for the Ballon d'or. We can't seem to get a handle on how to implement our successful youth system, either the quality ones we have on loan or the ones winning in the youth level.

I don't understand where this idea of him demanding a 1st 11 spot has come from, all I can hear is a footballer demanding to know where he stands in the grand scheme of things because clearly no one in the last 2 seasons has a clue what to do with him. Seems we underestimated his growth, and the same applies to a Courtois. Welbeck had a season on loan at Sunderland which was average by Lukaku standard and was fast tracked into the 1st team and given a full season to prove himself. Barkley you have fans banging on about swapping for Lukaku had 4 games on loan at Leeds last season, and had a manager who believed in him and gave him a full season. I bet you could have had Sterling for £5m at the beginning of the season, a full season later Liverpool would probably laugh at a £20m bid. I don't think these 3 examples would have made it on talent alone, the common denominator here is a manager's trust and believe.

When have you heard Jose praise Lukaku while he was away on loan? All I am getting is a non-committal vibe which probably stems from the fact like some people pointed out on this topic that he wasn't responsible for buying him, and/or he doesn't rate him which seems a bit silly considering the one stat you judge a forward on says different. Go back a decade ago when we paid a club record £24m for Drogba; he was atrocious in his first season, he couldn't control the ball to save his life and looked like a Championship level player. Fans seem to have forgotten him moaning publicly about wanting to leave the club and go back to Marseille or somewhere else, guess who came out and backed him? Jose.

The silly thing is that a season ago noone in their right mind would have been vocal about getting Costa instead of giving Lukaku a chance. 

 

Difference is that Falcao was sold and that made Costa first choice at Atletico and he did brilliantly ever since than in terms of goal scoring. Lukaku is no slouch in that regard and he realizes that playing regularly for a side like Everton is important for his chances to overtake Benteke in Belgium's National Team. Now Benteke isn't even going to the World Cup but if Lukaku stayed and received the Sturridge treatment he would not be going to the World Cup. 

I think he really feared that that's what was going to happen since it already happened to him once at CFC under AVB/RdM where I think him and Sturridge started one match up top against Blackburn in a 60 match season. 

Edited June 11, 201412 yr by Las7

Agree 100%.

Add to that he is an established international for a top-10 country. Can't believe fans are suggesting a loan to Atletico, why not Arsenal down the road? Utterly ridiculous! Seems the only way a youth player would make it here would be to get nominated for the Ballon d'or. We can't seem to get a handle on how to implement our successful youth system, either the quality ones we have on loan or the ones winning in the youth level.

I don't understand where this idea of him demanding a 1st 11 spot has come from, all I can hear is a footballer demanding to know where he stands in the grand scheme of things because clearly no one in the last 2 seasons has a clue what to do with him. Seems we underestimated his growth, and the same applies to a Courtois. Welbeck had a season on loan at Sunderland which was average by Lukaku standard and was fast tracked into the 1st team and given a full season to prove himself. Barkley you have fans banging on about swapping for Lukaku had 4 games on loan at Leeds last season, and had a manager who believed in him and gave him a full season. I bet you could have had Sterling for £5m at the beginning of the season, a full season later Liverpool would probably laugh at a £20m bid. I don't think these 3 examples would have made it on talent alone, the common denominator here is a manager's trust and believe.

When have you heard Jose praise Lukaku while he was away on loan? All I am getting is a non-committal vibe which probably stems from the fact like some people pointed out on this topic that he wasn't responsible for buying him, and/or he doesn't rate him which seems a bit silly considering the one stat you judge a forward on says different. Go back a decade ago when we paid a club record £24m for Drogba; he was atrocious in his first season, he couldn't control the ball to save his life and looked like a Championship level player. Fans seem to have forgotten him moaning publicly about wanting to leave the club and go back to Marseille or somewhere else, guess who came out and backed him? Jose.

With respect, that's bullsh*t. Do you seriously believe that Jose Mourinho, or any other top manager would deliberately send a player on loan or otherwise exclude him from the team because he wasn't responsible for buying that player? Frank Lampard wasn't a Jose buy, neither was John Terry, to name but two. This fact of Jose not buying Lukaku has in fact been pointed out by a variety of media arseholes, who then went on to concoct the self-same bullsh*t about this being why Jose won't give Lukaku a chance.

 

Also you state that you can't believe fans are suggesting that Lukaku should be loaned to Atletico. If anyone here has actually suggested this, then I must have blinked and missed it. The story originated in the Spanish press, and was then picked up by the Express and the Standard. As such it is a topic for discussion which is so far no more than paper talk, but paper talk which does also hint at a long-term future for Lukaku at Stamford Bridge, that the club wish to extend his contract.

 

The reason I posted the above here rather in the rumours section was because I thought it would make for a more interesting discussion than the condemnation of Lukaku based on what is almost certainly a misrepresentation of something he might have said.

 

You also seem to assume, that Lukaku was forced on loan to Everton. No he wasn't. It was at Lukaku's own request, a request which as I understand it, was granted following discussion of the situation.

 

On the youth system. As I wrote very recently, it's still comparatively new, certainly far less established than the youth setups at any of the cliubs you refer to, and as such is only just beginning to bear fruit. Success in the FA Youth Cup and so on gives no guarantee of any of the players involved making the grade in the first time, but it is a strong indication that we're on the right track. I'll say again that if we want to see players stepping up from the youth team to the first team squad on a fairly regular basis, then we're just going to have to be a little more patient.