5 Loanees Chelsea Should Recall Next Season After Romelu Lukaku’s Future Statement

• Romelu Lukaku is tight-lipped on his Chelsea future amid a good loan at AS Roma
• The Belgian forward has been in a complicated relationship since his £97.5m move
• Lukaku is one of the 15 players the West London club have on loan this season

Chelsea have 15 players on loan this season despite the team needing more quality and cover in some key positions including the forward line and full back.

Italian midfielder Cesare Casadei was recalled from his loan spell at Leicester City in January but has featured in only 13 minutes since returning.

Romelu Lukaku, currently on loan at AS Roma, was quizzed about his future after scoring in the 4-0 demolition of Brighton in the UEFA Europa League but refused to be drawn into another controversy.

“I don’t want to cause controversy in England, I have to be intelligent about this!” he said via Metro UK when asked about his future.

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Sports Brief looks at five Blues stars on loan that the club should consider integrating into the team next season.

Loan players Chelsea should recall

1. Romelu Lukaku

Big Rom, as he is fondly referred to, is the best striker on the club's roster and radar. The team will sign a striker in the summer, but with 18 goals in 35 games for Roma, recalling the former Inter Milan striker solves many problems, including goalscoring and finances. He has a contract till 2026.

2. Bashir Humphreys

The 20-year-old impressed in pre-season after a loan spell at SC Paderborn but was sent out again at the start of the season to Swansea City. He has featured in 23 league games for the Welsh team.

Humphreys deserves a shot at the first team with the impending departure of Thiago Silva and fitness concerns over other senior centre-backs. Per BR Football, Axel Disasi is the only first-team star available for all games this season.

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3. Omari Hutchinson

The Jamaican youngster spent time at Chelsea and Arsenal academies during his youth days. He returned to Cobham last year and is on loan at Ipswich Town. He has contributed to 11 goals in 40 games in all competitions despite completing 90 minutes four times and coming off the bench in most games. He has performed relatively better than Noni Madueke, a similar player at SW6.

4. Ian Maatsen

The Dutch left-back was not given a chance in his primary role by Mauricio Pochettino and joined Borussia Dortmund in January. Per Goal, he is expected to leave the club permanently in the summer and has a release clause of £35 million. He has three goal contributions in eight games and won the Bundesliga Rookie of the Month in February.

He is one the club should reconsider their stance on selling with Marc Cucurella set to leave and Ben Chilwell unable to stay fit for good number of games.

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5. Lewis Hall

Chelsea's Academy Player of the Year 2023, Lewis Hall, is a midfielder by trade and can also play as a left-back. He is an impressive ball carrier and ticks many boxes for the current side. He is on loan at boyhood club Newcastle United, who have the option of making it permanent.

Five academy players Chelsea can sell

Sports Brief analysed five academy stars Chelsea can sell to raise funds, with the club needing about £100mil in sales before January 30 to comply with the Premier League sustainability rules.

The sale of an academy player generates straight profit and helps prevent sanctions. Conor Gallagher is currently the most high-profile player from Cobham that could be a victim.