Chelsea made the statement signing of the 2021 summer transfer window when they parted ways with £97.5million to re-sign Inter star Romelu Lukaku seven years after he left Stamford Bridge. The Belgian forward scored four goals in his first five games back in England after guiding Inter to the Scudetto the previous campaign.
Following his blistering start to life back in the Premier League, Lukaku then faced a difficult period where the goals dried up and an injury kept him out for much of November, but then came that interview with Sky Italia. Lukaku spoke on a number of topics including his thoughts on Thomas Tuchel, his departure from Inter and his love for Italy.
"I cannot say that I am happy with the situation, this is normal," he said. "I think that Tuchel has chosen to play with another module, and I just have to not give up, continue to work and be a professional."
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He added: "How I left Inter, how I communicated with the fans, this bothers me because it is not the right time now, but even when I left, it was not the right time. Now I think it is right to speak because I have always said that I have Inter in my heart, I will return to play there, I really hope so.
"I am in love with Italy, this is rightly the time to talk and let people know what really happened without talking badly about people because I am not like that. I want to say a big apology to the Inter fans because I think the way I left should have been different. I really hope in the depths of my heart to return to Inter, not at the end of my career, but at a still good level to hopefully win more."
The 29-year-old never really recovered from the controversial interview with many Chelsea supporters concerned over his desire to want to play for the club especially after his comments about his former employers.
Lukaku scarcely appeared in a Chelsea shirt for the remainder of the season before joining Inter in the summer on-loan from Chelsea, however injuries have seen him make just five appearances in Italy. Those problems then rumbled on into Belgium's World Cup campaign where Lukaku, after missing his nation's group stage opener against Canada, has only been able to make cameo appearances from the bench against Morocco and Croatia.
In hindsight, the decision to part ways with Lukaku seems a good one for Chelsea, despite their goal scoring woes, as injuries have seen him unable to play much of the 2022/23 season, but relief was not the main emotion felt by Chelsea following his departure.
The Athletic have now revealed that Chelsea immediately regretted their decision to allow Lukaku to leave and that the need for the former Everton striker to drum up his value must start now, with Inter 'shocked' and 'alarmed' by his sudden physical decline and are therefore highly unlikely to pursue another deal to keep Lukaku at San Siro.
Following the end of the 2022/23 campaign, with his loan move not including an option or obligation to buy, Lukaku will return to Chelsea with his contract at Stamford Bridge not up for another three years once the summer arrives.
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