Todd Boehly faces first Chelsea transfer dilemma that Romelu Lukaku decision has complicated – Daniel Childs

It is hard to argue against the theory that if Romelu Lukaku leaves Chelsea under 12 months after signing for a record-breaking £97m fee he will be labelled the club’s worst-ever transfer.

How could this have happened? Lukaku was the sure thing, the long-awaited talisman to soothe our frustrating attacking woes. But if I have learnt anything from this disappointment, it is that longing for players you admire from a distance might not always have the healthiest outcome.

I loved watching Lukaku play for Inter, the way he’d brush off opponents with ease, and charge forward with the ball from the right channel with such conviction. When Lukaku got going, there was no stopping him.

READ MORE:Roberto Martinez delivers Romelu Lukaku update amid Chelsea star’s push to return to Inter Milan

His goal return was pretty ridiculous in Serie A and based on the start to life back at Stamford Bridge, the signs were good. Though as the season dragged on, Lukaku faced some setbacks and tensions arose through a controversial interview, it was clear that the dream had hit a harsh wall of reality.

Maybe Lukaku’s failure represents the change in elite football over the last five years. That big clubs can no longer just rely on superstars to solve wider systemic issues within their squad. Manchester United and PSG perfectly represent this in different ways when you look at the number of marquee additions they have made in recent windows.

Todd Boehly walks into Chelsea and already faces one of the most awkward transfer situations the club has ever faced. What do you do with a £97m player who looks out of place in Thomas Tuchel’s system, has underperformed and is impossible to sell for a permanent fee getting anywhere close to what was originally paid?

Sacking Tuchel is clearly not an option, maybe in the earlier years under Roman Abramovich it might have been but the reported backing of the coach by the club’s hierarchy back in January showcased a change.

So should Lukaku somehow make his way out of the club, most likely via an expensive loan back to Inter, replacements will be needed to rebuild the current squad. The temptation is to look at favourable and more obvious targets. Although not a traditional striker, the potential availability of Serge Gnabry from Bayern Munich could present an opportunity to recruit one of Europe’s best wide players.

Though given how Lukaku turned out, wanting Gnabry to join Chelsea could just be walking into an identical trap. Choosing sentiment over logic, and ignoring the attributes Tuchel requires for his current system to work, saw Lukaku struggle to make a significant impact throughout the course of this season.

The dilemma for Boehly might be to excite supporters with some flashy names, a marquee deal with gives the perception that Chelsea post-Abramovich can still succeed at the top level of the market, though recent history tells us this is a flawed way of recruitment.

The club will likely be unable to write off failed deals of Lukaku’s size in the future, meaning that the names targeted and recruited might not be that familiar to fans, or ones that are a couple of steps away from their prime years – a strategy Liverpool have expertly deployed when recruiting the likes of Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and now Luis Diaz.

Replacing Lukaku with another superstar certainly has its lure, and in the case of Gnabry, would give me a massive dopamine hit seeing a player I’ve admired for years join the club I support, but a more methodical approach is what’s required.