Joe Cole: “Romelu Lukaku could be the heir to Didier Drogba”

Former Chelsea Joe Cole has said he's impressed with his former club re-signing Romelu Lukaku for a record fee.

Lukaku completed move to Stamford Bridge this week for almost £100m and looks to be in contention to start right away. Cole thinks that the signing could be huge for the Blues - and that the former Inter hitman could emulate another Chelsea legend. 

“Lukaku is a focal point of the attack and he brings players into the game,” said Cole, speaking at the BT Sport media day ahead of the start of the Premier League season this weekend. The theme of BT’s coverage this season is ‘hope’, and the 42-year-old has high hopes for the Belgian marksman. 

“It’s a great signing because he’s at the peak of his powers and he’s coming back to Stamford Bridge with a point to prove. We’re getting a Lukaku who’s going to want to show people at Chelsea that he was the heir to Didier Drogba and that the club have had to go around the houses to get him back.” 

Cole won three Premier League titles, three FA Cups and two League Cups during a seven-year stint in West London, and believes the current team should be challenging for the top honours this term as well. 

“My biggest hope for Chelsea this season is actually more than a hope, it’s a realistic opportunity for Chelsea to compete for the Premier League title,” the former England midfielder tells FourFourTwo. “Especially after their recent victory in the UEFA Super Cup, I can see them having an outstanding season. Having that early silverware is so important for the early mentality.”

Cole also believes West Ham, the club he broke through at as a teenager in the 1999/99 season, will only build on their stunning 6th place finish last campaign if they can bring in new faces before the transfer window closes. “My hope for West Ham is for them to get some players in because being in a Europa League season is a real challenge for the club,” he tells FFT. “Competing well with all those extra games is very difficult, so they need to get some business done early to help.”

New Hope. Be part of it all. BT Sport www.bt.com/sport

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