Fernando Torres and Romelu Lukaku: Chelsea's new dream team?

Two potential ‘striking’ developments at Stamford Bridge have left me somewhat baffled this morning. Not that anything which goes on at Chelsea should surprise us these days.

Jose Mourinho’s inevitable return, I get. An extended stay for Frank Lampard, I get even more. But there are a couple of things I don’t get.

They concern the futures of two high-profile strikers, Fernando Torres and Romelu Lukaku who experienced contrasting fortunes last season, but both ended on a high.

Torres, who came to life in the last third of the campaign, ultimately played a major role in the London club landing the Europa Cup in the most dramatic of circumstances.

Lukaku, meanwhile, capped his impressive season on loan at West Brom (from Chelsea) with a hat-trick against Manchester United in what was probably his last appearance for the Baggies.

All that is in the past, of course, so now we turn to the present – and the future for two players I would expect to make a big contribution to the Second Coming of the Special One.

And yet, or so we are led to believe, Chelsea are considering selling Torres whilst Lukaku is being linked with another loan move, this time to Champions League finalists Borussia Dortmund. Neither seems to make sense to me.

Lukaku’s heroics for West Brom surely earned him a crack at regular first team football with his parent club, whilst Torres did enough during the run-in to suggest he’s turned the corner and is ready to make himself a Blues’ legend after all.

Just seven of Torres’ 22 goals came in the Premier League, however, and rumours are mounting that Chelsea are prepared to take a £30m hit by selling him to any club which will come up with £20m.

All speculation, of course, and the future of Lukaku is another story for the rumour-mongers to get their teeth in to. Hence the reason for my being baffled.

I can’t see how another loan spell would benefit Lukaku, just as I don’t see how selling Torres would help either club or player, especially now he’s finally settled in West London.

In fact, I can see a Torres-Lukaku strike partnership wreaking havoc in the Premier League next season. Whether Jose Mourinho sees the same potential only time will tell.

Source : http://www.football.co.uk/chelsea/fernando_torres_and_romelu_lukaku__chelsea_s_new_dream_team__rss4224625.shtml