[REVISION HISTORY]

Lukaku struggles for rhythm and playing time at Fenerbahçe

Updated 24 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-09-15 06:32 UTC → 2026-09-15 17:20 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Romelu Lukaku’s tenure at Fenerbahçe has been marked by significant difficulty. After his transfer from Napoli, the 33-year-old striker struggled to find rhythm, initially recording no goals or assists. He has faced increasing criticism due to his limited playing time, often appearing as a substitute for less than 30 minutes per match, which has hindered his ability to regain match fitness. In a recent match against Gaziantep, Lukaku finally received his first start, playing for over an hour in a 0-0 draw, though he failed to record a goal or assist. This performance drew sharp condemnation from journalist Emre Bol, who described the performance as ‘ridiculous’ given Lukaku’s physical profile, noting that opponents should feel as though they are ‘hitting a wall’ when contesting him. During his hour on the pitch, Lukaku recorded only ten successful passes and won only three out of nine duels. He now faces intense competition for the starting striker position from Vedat Muriqi, who has seen more consistent playing time and contributed more offensively. To address these issues, Fenerbahçe's technical staff is reportedly planning to use the upcoming international break to help Lukaku improve his physical readiness. Since joining the club in August, he has accumulated only 112 official minutes across six appearances. This lack of impact, combined with his high wage demands, has led analysts to suggest that Fenerbahçe may be unlikely to exercise the option to extend his contract beyond 2027. Speculation ~~has emerged~~ remains regarding a potential move to Anderlecht, ~~the Belgian club where Lukaku has expressed interest in finishing his career. This potential move comes~~ amid ongoing internal instability ~~at Fenerbahçe; following a match against AS Roma, manager Ismail Kartal announced his resignation, but club president Aziz Yıldırım refused the departure, creating sporting~~ and coaching uncertainty at the club.

Versions

Only revisions since CLSTR began indexing content versions appear here. Select a version to see what changed compared to the one before it.