Last night, Romelu Lukaku, presently on loan at AS Roma from Chelsea, achieved a remarkable feat by setting a new record for the most goals scored in a single European Championship qualifying campaign. His outstanding display contributed to four of Belgium’s five goals in their 5-0 win against Azerbaijan, elevating his total for Euro 2024 qualifiers to an impressive 14 goals.
This milestone places the 30-year-old striker ahead of David Healy and Robert Lewandowski, who both scored 13 goals each in the qualifying campaigns for Euro 2008 and Euro 2016, respectively. Lukaku boasts an extraordinary overall record for Belgium, with 83 goals in 113 appearances for his country.
His performance at AS Roma this season has also been commendable, finding the back of the net nine times in 14 appearances under Jose Mourinho’s guidance.
Although there might be potential interest from Chelsea in reinforcing their striking options by keeping Lukaku after his loan spell at Roma, Lukaku’s apparent reluctance to return to Chelsea is evident as he continues to play at the Stadio Olimpico. Hence, forcing him to stay at the club might not align with his preferences, even if he continues to showcase his goal-scoring abilities.
In light of this situation, it wouldn’t be surprising if Chelsea fans leaned toward supporting Nicolas Jackson, despite his recent struggles. Thankfully, the 22-year-old has displayed promising performances in Chelsea’s recent matches against Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, fostering hope for his ongoing improvement.
