‘It was a mistake’ – Romelu Lukaku reflects on ill-fated £97m switch from Inter Milan to Chelsea last summer

Romelu Lukaku admits it was a mistake to make the switch from Inter Milan for Chelsea, after arriving at Stamford Bridge for a huge £97m fee last summer.

Lukaku underwhelmed on his return to west London, scoring only eight goals in 26 Premier League appearances to prompt a loan return to Inter a year later.

The Belgian did not help his cause after giving a damning interview with Sky Italia, where he criticised Thomas Tuchel’s tactics and spoke of his desire to return to the San Siro.

He said: “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.

“I am not happy with the situation, but I am a professional and I won’t give up.

“I think everything that happened last summer was not supposed to happen like this… how I left Inter, the way I left the club, how I communicated with Inter fans.
“I have always said that I have Inter in my heart.

“I really hope from the bottom of my heart to return to Inter not at the end of my career, but when I’m still at the top level to win more together.”

There appears to be no way back for Lukaku at Chelsea, after further comments surfaced in Inter’s recent kit launch.

“I left. It was a mistake, right Nico?” he quipped to teammate Nicolo Barella in quotes published by the Metro.

“Now I am happy to be wearing this jersey, the team knows what we need to do, it’ll be a great challenge this season and we need to continue like this.

“I realised last season when I was in England, just how important Inter are in the world. The club’s profile is improving on an international scale, the social media approach is really important too and you can see how we act in the locker room, in training, our hugs and jokes.

“Milan is a wonderful city and that is why I kept the old apartment when I went to London, because my mother was coming here all the time and I wanted to return too.”

It is fair to say that Lukaku’s stock is significantly higher in Italy, following a return of 64 goals in 95 appearances across all competitions for the Nerazzurri.

Simone Inzaghi’s side kick-off their 2022/23 Serie A campaign away at Lecce on August 13.