It's been, as always, a tumultuous year in west London.
Chelsea ended last season defeated in the finale of both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, falling short on penalties to Liverpool on each occasion; to compound the woes, long-time and revered owner Roman Abramovich had been forced to sell the club following the fallout of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
American businessman Todd Boehly swooped in, taking a seat at the head of the table, and pumped a remarkable amount of money on the transfer front, parting with roughly £600m since the summer, but despite the lucrative outlay, progress has not been aptly reflected on the pitch.
The Blues have fallen by the wayside this season, with Thomas Tuchel – triumphant in the 20/21 Champions League – sacked in the early phases and Brighton & Hove Albion manager Graham Potter struggling to instil the confidence and fluidity that was expected, with the outfit languishing in tenth in the top-flight after 27 matches and out of both domestic cup competitions in the early stages.
The Blues are into the Champions League quarter-finals, but further adjustments will need to be made if Boehly's grand schemes are to be realised, and for all the raft of seasonal arrivals, it is felt a centre-forward is required to complete the puzzle.
Some high-profile names have been touted, but with other departments of the pitch still requiring renovation, Potter must consider the prolific name already etched onto the Stamford Bridge books.
Should Chelsea give Lukaku a chance?
Signing for Chelsea for a – then – club-record £97.5m in 2020, Romelu Lukaku was expected to obliterate defences and catapult Chelsea to the very top of the European game, seven years after he departed the club for Everton for £28m.
Lukaku has forged a career of prolific prowess, feared and admired for his brutish strength and innate goal-scoring instinct, the Belgian was considered one of the game's finest strikers.
It didn't quite work out last year, however, with a mediocre return of eight goals from 26 league outings compounded by an explosive interview expressing his discontent.
This week, however, the 29-year-old appears to be getting back to his best, and scored an emphatic hat-trick against Sweden to take his international tally to an "outrageous" – as remarked by one journalist – 71 goals from 105 caps.
With Chelsea interested in a move for Napoli striker Victor Osimhen, the Nigerian in scintillating seasonal form and chalking 21 goals and five assists from 23 Serie A appearances, Boehly and co might be wise to scrap plans for the €150m (£132m) man, instead entrusting their established gem with the talismanic role.
The £185k-per-week Lukaku is hardly untested, with 121 goals and 43 assists plundered from 278 appearances in the Premier League, and as the puzzle pieces together the former Manchester United man might well be a sterling choice to spearhead the charge, with a dynamic and oiled outfit behind him. That is, ignoring his poor return of three Serie A goals this season whilst on loan.
Boehly has worn his opulence on his chest like a glinted brooch, but the most auspicious path to success might not be throwing the kitchen sink at a deal for the likes of Osimhen, especially when Lukaku looks to be rekindling the fire that burned so brightly before his transfer to Stamford Bridge two years ago.
The "monster" – as once hailed by Richard Keys – has been quite the force over the years, and with man-managing whiz Potter now at the helm, the cogs could fall into place for a redemption arc in west London.