Since arriving at Chelsea in January, Thomas Tuchel has done practically nothing wrong.
The German coach, who left Paris Saint-Germain in the latter stages of 2020, led the Blues to Champions League triumph in May, and also secured a top four finish in the Premier League – which, at one stage, looked tricky for the west Londoners.
More recently, Chelsea picked up their second trophy in a few months when they beat Villarreal on penalties to secure the UEFA Super Cup.
It turns out Tuchel working his magic is not simply restricted to on-the-pitch matters, and the Blues boss can work wonders in the transfer market.
According to a report published by Goal on Thursday evening, Tuchel had a huge part to play in convincing Romelu Lukaku to re-sign for Chelsea for a whopping £97.5million fee.
The Blues had an £85million bid turned down by Inter Milan earlier in the transfer window and it seemed Lukaku was happy to stay at the San Siro, but “a phone call from Tuchel effectively sealed the deal”.
The former Borussia Dortmund manager told the 28-year-old that the peak years of his career would be best spent with the reigning Champions League winners, and it looks like he listened to what the Chelsea head coach had to say.
(Image: Najjua Zulkefli/AFP via Getty Images)
Lukaku has unfinished business in England after leaving Manchester United in the summer of 2019 following a difficult spell at Old Trafford. The Belgium international joined United for a big-money fee after impressing at Everton beforehand, which followed a move from Chelsea in 2014.
Now, the striker is back at Stamford Bridge, where it all began for him in England, and he cannot wait to get started once again.
Speaking to the club’s official website on Thursday evening, Lukaku said: “I’m happy and blessed to be back at this wonderful club.
“It’s been a long journey for me: I came here as a kid who had a lot to learn, now I’m coming back with a lot of experience and more mature.
“The relationship I have with this club means so much to me, as you know. I have supported Chelsea as a kid and now to be back and try to help them win more titles is an amazing feeling.
“The way the club is going fits my ambitions perfectly at 28 and just coming off winning Serie A.
“I think this opportunity comes at the right time and hopefully we can have a lot of success together.
“Since I left Chelsea, it’s been a long journey with a lot of ups and downs, but these experiences made me strong and the challenge is to try to help the team win some more trophies.
“I can’t wait to get started and to help the club achieve more success.”