Former Premier League star Paolo di Canio has hit out at Romelu Lukaku, claiming the forward has failed to turn up in crucial matches.
The Belgian star joined Chelsea in a club-record £97.5m deal last summer, having helped Inter Milan win Serie A the previous season. Things have not gone well for him in London, though, and the 29-year-old has rejoined Inter on loan for the upcoming campaign.
Lukaku finished last season as the Blues' top scorer in all competitions. However, only eight of his goals came in the Premier League, with manager Thomas Tuchel regularly leaving him out of the starting line-up for must-win games.
Di Canio, who scored goals in England and Italy, has questioned the striker's ability to deliver when it truly matters. And he suggested it's not only at Chelsea where these issues have come to the fore
"Romelu Lukaku flops in crucial games," the Italian told Sky Sport Italia (via Metro ). "It’s not an opinion, it is a fact. It’s what he showed in his seven-year spell in the Premier League."
The loanee has 121 Premier League goals at a rate of 0.44 per game, though not all of them have been in the most important games. He netted on his second Chelsea debut, during a 2-0 victory over Arsenal, but that was his only Premier League goal last season against a team who finished in the top eight.
The writing has appeared to be on the wall for Lukaku for some time. Things began to go south amid an explosive interview with Sky Sport Italia before the turn of the year, during which he restated his fondness for Inter.
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"I think the coach has chosen to play with another system, I just have to not give up and continue to work and be a professional," he said. "I am not happy with the situation, but I am a worker and I must not give up.
"I think everything that happened was not supposed to happen like this 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."
Inter have forked out a £6.9m loan fee to bring Lukaku back to the San Siro, plus £3.4m in bonuses. He has also taken a pay cut to get the deal over the line.
"I am in love with Italy, this is the right moment to talk and let people know what really happened," he told Sky Italia upon returning. "I really hope from bottom of my heart to return to Inter not at the end of my career, but when I'm still at top level to win more together."
