Romelu Lukaku says he has a "kind of anger" inside of him following his failed return to Chelsea – and the Belgian striker is determined to remind everyone of his true ability after returning to Inter Milan on a season-long loan in the summer.
It was 12 months ago that Chelsea smashed their transfer record to bring Lukaku back to Stamford Bridge; the Blues paid £97.5million for the striker, who had led Inter to the Serie A title during the 2020/21 campaign. Lukaku made the perfect start with a goal on his debut against Arsenal but it soon became apparent he was not an ideal fit in Thomas Tuchel's side.
An ill-advised and unsanctioned interview with Sky Italia, broadcast in December, in which Lukaku declared he would one day return to Inter did little to help matters. And even scoring in the Club World Cup semi-finals and final could not repair the damage done to his relationship with Chelsea supporters.
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It's why this summer, Lukaku forced the wheels into motion in order to return to Inter. And once he got the sign-off from new Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly and Tuchel – and took a sizeable pay cut – the Belgium international rejoined the Serie A giants on loan for the season, although there remains an expectation that Lukaku will spend a further year back in Italy.
“The season at Chelsea has given me extra motivation to do even better than before,” the 29-year-old explained in a wide-ranging interview with DAZN. “I think in one year everyone has forgotten about the things I am capable of doing on the pitch. That is a kind of anger that I have inside me.
“That now the [Inter] team has it too, because it didn’t win [the Serie A title] last year, all together we hope to do better and bring something home.”
Lukaku continued: “I think before, when I left Inter, I wanted to take revenge at Chelsea – when I was young it was my team for 11 years. I had this opportunity to go back there and thought I would be a hero. But that wasn’t the case.
“And in March, when I heard there was an opportunity to come back here to Inter, I didn’t say anything. But toward the end of the season, we did a very good job with the club and I was able to come back here.
“I make reflections only at the end of the season. So after the last game [against Watford], I allowed myself time to think what my situation was. I saw that as a player with Inter I did well, the season at Chelsea for me was difficult. I had no doubts, that’s why I made the decision to come back here.”
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