A season ago, He could not resist a mouth-watering offer to rejoin Chelsea.
Over a year after, Lukaku jumped at an unflattering loan deal, including a pay cut to rejoin Inter Milan,
Tall, imposing and armed with a knack for finding the back of the net, the 27 year old Romelu Lukaku, at the beginning of the 2021/2022 league season had shown signs of continuous exceptionalism In front of goal with match winning performances against Arsenal and Aston Villa.
Apparently buoyed by the media hype, Lukaku, had in a training session ahead of a trip to Anfield to face bitter rivals, Liverpool promised to teach his teammates how to score in front of goal.
Of course, he had the bragging rights.
He had just scored a sensational goal in training, egged on by cheers of amazement from his teammates.
“Oh my god! I’ll teach you all how to score, all of you. One by one”, he declared, amidst the raucous cheers.
Off the heels of two stellar seasons with Inter Milan where the Belgian scored 64 goals in 95 appearances, helping the Nerazzuri to a first Scudetto since 2010 last season, Lukaku, at just 27 was clearly in his prime and ready to move onto a grander stage.
When Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool manager had mentioned that clubs like Chelsea go for ‘solutions’ in the transfer market, no matter the cost, many commentators took objection at him, saying he was just inflaming rival passions.
However, Chelsea proved him right.
With the blues in dire need for a goal poacher, an approach was made for the Belgian big man.
Eventually, Inter Milan would let Lukaku join the blues in a record-breaking 115million Euros Deal.
“I’m happy and blessed to be back at this wonderful club”, Lukaku said on his return.
“It’s been a long journey for me: I came here as a kid who had a lot to learn, now I’m coming back with a lot of experience and more mature.
“The way the club is going fits my ambitions perfectly at 28 and just coming off winning Serie A. I think this opportunity comes at the right time and hopefully we can have a lot of success together.’
‘Since I left Chelsea, it’s been a long journey with a lot of ups and downs, but these experiences made me strong and the challenge is to try to help the team win some more trophies. I can’t wait to get started and to help the club achieve more success.”
After class performances in his first few games of the season, in which he scored or assisted against Arsenal, Aston Villa, and Zenith St Petersburg, the Lukaku enigma began to unravel.
Punctuated by a six match absence due to injuries and illnesses, Lukaku experienced a three-month goal drought in the Premier League.
Two goals in two outings after Christmas seemed to signal a return to form, but a controversial interview with Sky Italia suggested that he was not happy and triggered a public verbal war with manager Thomas Tuchel.
In a 29-minute interview with Sky in Italy recorded earlier in December, Lukaku said he was “not happy” with his situation at Chelsea, questioning Thomas Tuchel’s system and talking up the prospect of returning to Inter while he is still playing at a “good enough level”.
Lukaku further pointed out the tactical issue in the team, claiming that the coach had to be ‘patient’ with him in order to get him back into scoring form.
“I think I’m in a moment where the boss could play me a little more but I have to respect his decisions, continue to work and wait for my time to come,” he said.
“We’re trying to find a middle ground where we can meet, a system which can help the team perform at its best because right now we’re in a complicated situation.
“The boss made a choice, I have to keep working and at some point we will talk with Tuchel and see how it’s going.”
Chelsea manager, Thomas Tichel, fought back, saying that Lukaku’s comments were ‘not helpful’ because they “bring noise that we don’t need”,
Lukaku went on to have a string of horrible performances in Chelsea colours, with the most notable in a 1-0 win against Crystal Palace.
He touched the ball only seven times in that game.
From then on, it was only a downward slide down a slippery slope. Thomas Tuchel continued to use his preferred attacking option of Mason Mount, Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech.
For a player who came in with so much promise, at the end of the season, Lukaku scored a miserly 15 goals in all competitions from 44 games. Only eight of these goals came in the Premier League. He did not deliver an assist all campaign.
With Chelsea dogged by a rocky takeover following the sale of the Club by Roman Abrahamovich and the spotlight on him for his record-breaking price tag, Lukaku’s next decision was surely going to grab the attention of keen watchers of football.
On the 21st of June, 2022, popular Italian Journalist and transfer guru, Fabrizo Romano put speculations to rest as he announced that Chelsea had agreed a 8 million Euros loan deal for the return of Lukaku to Inter.
The journalist also revealed that Lukaku took a pay cut to join his former club.
“Romelu Lukaku returns to Inter, here we go and confirmed! Full agreement now signed on loan deal until June 2023, €8 loan fee plus add-ons. #CFC #Inter. Lukaku’s salary will be around €8m.NO buy option or obligation clause. Add-ons related to team performances.”
Lukaku might have sought to put behind his troubles on and off the pitch at Chelsea football club with a return to the Neazzuri ,it appears, however, that a section of the Italian fan base would not be ready to receive him.
An ultraconservative fan group of the Italian club, Curva Nord, have released a statement on social media which outlines their disapproval of how the Belgian left them a year ago.
They warned the player that while they would not openly oppose his return or jeer him, there would be no hero’s welcome awaiting him.
“Since Lukaku’s return to Inter is very likely, some points need to be made clear: The Curva Nord supports Inter and will not make any objection to the player (despite last summer’s behavior); Given this no one should go to welcome him with scarves or banners of the Curva or of the groups that compose it;
“Everything that in the future will eventually be done towards him will have to earn it on the pitch with humility and sweat…He was supported (and treated) like a King, now he is one like many. Let us also be clear to everyone that we will never cheer against Lukaku if he wears the Inter shirt again.”
For a club he hit almost a century of goals for in two seasons, Lukaku can only hope a return to the San Siro can help him reignite his lost form, and lead the march of Inter Milan to reclaiming the Scudetto title.
Redemption or further ignominy at Inter Milan?
Time will tell.
