Without a win after two Premier League games, Chelsea’s two leading goalscorers still on the books are twiddling their thumbs after being told to train with the youth squad.
Romelu Lukaku’s love-hate relationship with the Blues means he has one more week left to try and end his turbulent and ultimately failed career at SW6.
While Callum Hudson-Odoi will be sweating away, keen on a permanent move from Stamford Bridge too.
The transfer window closes at 11pm next Friday and Lukaku hopes that he’ll be plying his trade somewhere in Italy – I doubt he really cares where just now.
The Blues bought and sold and bought him back again for a total of £88million – for that they got 15 goals in 33 appearances.
Didier Drogba can rest easy in his bed, knowing that the Belgium striker won’t be vying for his legendary status at SW6 anytime soon – actually never.
Chelsea want him gone for good, but his wages are putting off potential suitors. He is okay with a loan deal. So we have a stand-off, and at some point in the next seven days, someone will blink – either Lukaku on his wage demands or Chelsea, who know that a loan deal might have to include partial payments of his wages.
And then there is Hudson-Odoi.
The Wandsworth-born winger is still only 22, and as such should command a hefty transfer fee.
So why is he still at Chelsea?
Hudson-Odoi made his debut in 2018 and was touted as the next best thing since Wayne Rooney. He even made full international appearances for England. But, somewhere along the way, his career has stalled.
He was persuaded to stay at the Bridge when Bayern Munich came calling. He was a bootlace away from signing for the German giants – only to be talked out of it by then Chelsea boss Frank Lampard.
He was away last season on a season-loan deal to Bayer Leverkusen where he scored one goal in 21 appearances.
But with the new American owners opting for new, even younger wingers, Hudson-Odoi has been cut adrift by the new management. He has scored 16 times in 72 appearances for the Blues.
Chelsea face promoted outfit Luton Town at the Bridge tonight as they attempt to get their season up and running.
For large swathes of their 3-1 away defeat to West Ham on Sunday, they looked in charge.
But they need a serious 20-goal a season striker to lift them into any sort of contention for a Euro spot next season.
Nicolas Jackson has pace, tricky feet and will, given high-quality service, get close. But he is basically alone.
Fellow hitman Christopher Nkunku is a long-term absentee with a knee injury sustained in their pre-season promotional tour match in the US. It will be months before he is back on the grass.
With that in mind the dynamic duo of football directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley will have their hands full, and mobile phones on red alert, as they seek to land a striker who knows that he will only be surplus to requirements next season.
Hang on, couldn’t they just bring Lukaku back into the fold for one last hurrah like PSG did when they caved in to Kylian Mbappe’s demands?
The Frenchman told the Paris side he would not extend his contract beyond this season. He turned down overtures to be sold. So rather than be ostracised and told to train with the kids, the club realised their best option is to reintegrate him into first-team action and see where that leads.
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