Former Premier League star Paulo Di Canio has blasted Romelu Lukaku's performance at Chelsea, claiming that he is merely a "dull" and "functional" forward.
The Belgian joined Chelsea for £98 million this summer, after a searing run of form in Italy for Inter Milan. Following a strong start, including a debut goal against Arsenal, the goals have dried up significantly.
To many, this is just a blip for the marksman, but according to Di Canio, there are more fundamental issues at play.
Advert
"I heard (Giuseppe) Bergomi comparing (Napoli striker Victor) Osimhen and Lukaku. But Osimhen has a different spirit, he's not dull like him," the former West Ham and Sheffield Wednesday striker said on the Sky Calcio Club show.
'When the difficulty increased he scored no goals in five games with Chelsea. And it's not Chelsea's fault, they are first (in the table) even without his goals."
Advert
"Even if Lukaku is stronger than Llorente. Lukaku is functional to a certain type of game."
However, amid mounting criticism of the 28-year-old's form, the player's manager, Thomas Tuchel, was keen to explain why goals have dried up as of late.
'I felt him a bit tired. Altogether we produced a very strong 60 to 75 minutes, including Romelu and Timo (Werner)," the German claimed after Chelsea's narrow win at Brentford.
Advert
"Both of them, Romelu and Timo, were too far away to help us escape the pressure. That was the problem, but I have no concerns.
"Normally the best thing is that he scores but he is very unselfish at the moment, looking for Timo in good situations."
Featured Image Credit:Topics: Chelsea, Thomas Tuchel, Premier League, Romelu Lukaku