Former Chelsea legend, Ashley Cole, is convinced that his former club has what it takes to ensure Premier League and European glory this season, thanks to their signing of former striker, Romelu Lukaku.
The Belgian is back at Stamford Bridge and, if his form at Inter Milan is anything to go by, ready to fire the Blues to the title.
It’ll be a tall order given how strong Man City look on paper, but Cole believes that the signing of Lukaku has closed the circle for the club and makes them the team to beat.
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“We are seeing the more mature Lukaku and seeing the quality that we all knew,” Cole was quoted as saying to the Daily Mirror.
“But sometimes you have to go away and come back and put yourself through those challenges to reach your full potential. Hopefully we see that back at Chelsea.
“Not just his goalscoring but his all-round game has improved and it has been something that Chelsea has lacked.
“He can bring leadership, a big quality that is needed. There are a lot of young players in the squad so for him to come in after the great season that he had.
“There have question marks over him at certain clubs he has been but his time at Inter, you are now seeing a player full of confidence and willing to lead and win lots of trophies.
“Hopefully, he is the last piece of the puzzle and he can be a huge asset. The maturity he has shown and the growth over that 10-year period since he first came to Chelsea has been immense.”
Lukaku has a point to prove back in the English top-flight, after what was a largely disappointing time at Manchester United.
A new lease of life in Serie A saw him plunder a hatful of goals as he fired Inter to the Scudetto, and he’ll be hoping to replicate that at the Bridge.