Romelu Lukaku has completed his loan move back to Inter Milan, less than a year since he left Serie A for a return to Chelsea and the Premier League.
Inter sold Lukaku to Chelsea in a £97.5 million deal – a club record for the London club – last summer but the move proved a bitter disappointment for club and player.
The Belgian striker scored just eight Premier League goals in 26 games and suffered a huge fallout with the club following an interview with Italian television in December when he criticised the tactics of manager Thomas Tuchel and talked about returning to Inter.
Less than seven months later, Lukaku has got his wish. Reports suggest Inter will pay Chelsea a loan fee of £6.9m plus £3.5m in bonuses if they win the Serie A title and cover his wages for the season.
The 29-year-old is also thought to have agreed to a pay cut to secure the move that will see his wages drop from £325,000-a-week at Stamford Bridge to around £210,000.
"It seemed impossible for me to come back here but we managed it and I'm grateful to him [Inter president Steven Zhang] for the way he kept pushing and believing it was possible," Lukaku said in an interview with Inter TV.
“We managed to do it in the end and I’m delighted to be back.”
Lukaku also revealed he had kept his house in Milan after his move to Chelsea.
“That means something,” he said. "I’m pleased to be back and now I can’t wait to get out there with my teammates.”
The move will see Lukaku link up again with Inter forward Lautaro Martínez in a formidable partnership that was dubbed “LuLa” by the Italian media.
"I'm very happy," Lukaku said in a video taken by Zhang and posted on the club's social media on Wednesday.
“That's what I'm here for,” Lukaku replied when asked by Zhang if he was going to score a lot of goals.
Chelsea ratings for 2021/22 season
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CHELSEA END OF SEASON RATINGS: (Manager) Thomas Tuchel: 9. A Premier League title challenge may have faded amid the relentless pace of Manchester City and Liverpool but third place, the Fifa Club World Cup, and reaching both domestic finals represent a fine campaign. Even more so when he had to operate under government-imposed sanctions, and he led the club during a period of uncertainty with poise and dignity. EPA -
(Goalkeepers) Edouard Mendy: 8. Another strong season for the Senegalese. There was a spell midway through the season where Mendy was unbeatable, and while he was guilty of some costly mistakes, most notably against Real Madrid, he is a key player for Chelsea. Getty -
Kepa Arrizabalaga: 7. Had his best season yet for Chelsea, deputising effectively while Mendy was on Afcon duty and impressing in the cups, while the Spaniard was superb in the Club World Cup semi-final. But - and it's a rather big but - his League Cup final cameo was disastrous; coming on for the shootout, Kepa didn't get anywhere near Liverpool's penalties before blazing his effort out of the stadium. PA -
(Defenders) Antonio Rudiger: 9. Chelsea's player of the season, the German defender was superb throughout, leading from the back with rock solid defensive displays and contributing with some goals. Gut-wrenching for Chelsea fans that he's leaving. Getty -
Andreas Christensen: 6. Challenged by Tuchel at the end of the 2020/21 season to stake his claim in the first team but it was another year as a squad player, although played most of Chelsea's Champions League campaign. Had a decent enough season but his form faded after he had clearly decided to leave, and made himself unavailable for the FA Cup final. Getty -
Trevoh Chalobah: 7. Had a dream goalscoring Premier League debut and maintained that strong form during the early part of the season. Performances dipped towards the back end of the campaign but the Academy graduate looks set for a big future in the first team. EPA -
Malang Sarr: 6. After spending last season on loan at Porto, got his chance in the Chelsea setup after the long-term injury to Ben Chilwell. Largely dependable at left centre-back and wing-back without being spectacular, although had a horror show against Luton in the FA Cup. Getty -
Thiago Silva: 8. What's left to say about the ageless Brazilian? Another year older but still as classy as defenders come, the 37-year-old shows no signs of slowing down. Given the impending upheaval to Chelsea's defence this summer, the club will be delighted Silva is staying for another season. Getty -
Marcos Alonso: 7. Still defensively suspect when targeted one-on-one by opposition wingers but remained an attacking threat down Chelsea's left flank. Probably played more games than expected following Chilwell's injury and, overall, had a good season. Reuters -
Ben Chilwell: 7. Superb for the first three months until a cruciate ligament injury curtailed his season. Once he returns to fitness, the England international will be a major player for Chelsea. EPA -
Reece James: 9. How Chelsea missed the England defender during his various injury absences. Often Chelsea's most effective attacking player when at wing-back and solid when deployed in a back three, James was consistently excellent, contributing six goals and 10 assists. Getty -
Cesar Azpilicueta: 6. Earned plenty of praise for deflecting attention away from Kai Havertz prior to the German's Club World Cup-winning penalty. But it was generally a season of decline from the captain. Azpilicueta has started to look leggy and was guilty of several individual errors. If he stays, his leadership remains important but his game time will surely decrease next season. PA -
(Midfielders) N'Golo Kante: 7. After five exemplary seasons in Chelsea blue, this was the first where Kante was below his brilliant best. Injuries were the key factor and he was a less imposing figure in midfield, particularly during the second half of the season. Still a key player for Tuchel, though. EPA -
Jorginho: 7. Did what he does by helping Chelsea retain possession and control midfields but too often the tempo was too slow when the Italian was on the pitch and dictating play. Played well in the FA Cup final, to be fair, but as he enters the final year of his contact, Tuchel will need to decide whether he renews and stays or it's time to move on. AFP -
Mateo Kovacic: 8. Once again Chelsea's standout central midfielder and he was sorely missed during a six-week injury and Covid absence. The Croatian provides so much all-round quality to the Blues midfield. Scored their goal of the season, too, with a stunner against Liverpool. EPA -
Saul Niguez: 3. Arrived on a season-long loan from Atletico Madrid with the intention of adding a new dimension to the Chelsea midfield with his pace, skill, and eye for goal. Instead, Saul barely featured after clearly struggling to adapt to the pace of English football. It's a shame because there's no doubt he's a major talent. Reuters -
Ruben Loftus-Cheek: 7. Climbed the midfield pecking order this season and rewarded Tuchel with some fine performances, mixed in with some frustratingly quiet displays. There is a nagging sense that there's still much more to come. Reuters -
Ross Barkley: 5. Limited to six league appearances and 14 in all competitions, making just four starts, Barkley is nowhere near Tuchel's plans and will likely be heading for the exit this summer. His last contribution looks set to be the final day winner against Watford. Getty -
Mason Mount: 9. A player who will always have his detractors, despite a mountain of evidence to support his quality. The England midfielder was Chelsea's best and most consistent attacking threat this season, contributing to 29 goals (13 scored, 16 assisted) across all competitions. One of the first tasks for the new owners should be to tie Mount down to a big, fat long-term contract. PA -
(Forwards) Kai Havertz: 7. Another major final winner from the German, this time at the Club World Cup, and he has definitely found a higher and more consistent level than his stop-start debut season. Still, for all his talent, there were a few too many anonymous displays. A top player, though. Getty -
Hakim Ziyech: 6. Either the best player on the pitch or a ghost, it was a frustratingly inconsistent season from the Moroccan winger. There was a spell at the start of the year when he scored three games in a row and it appeared the code had been cracked, but he was unable to maintain the form for the rest of the season. Getty -
Christian Pulisic: 5. An ankle injury at the start of the season seemed to kill the momentum he built from his superb end to the previous campaign, and the American never really got going. Popped up with some important goals but his contribution was below-par for a player who should have a key attacking role. Getty -
Callum Hudson-Odoi: 6. Contributed in parts during the first half of the campaign before an achilles injury ended his season early. Still only 21 and has a lot more to offer in the years to come but will need a run in the first team when he returns to fitness. AFP -
Romelu Lukaku: 4. The 'final piece of the jigsaw' felt more like square peg, round hole for most of the season. Lukaku looked like he would run riot on his return to Chelsea after a strong start but a goal drought, followed by injury, followed by an explosive interview saw the Belgian spend more time on the bench than on the pitch. Scored twice in two games to help Chelsea win the Club World Cup, and found some form at the end of the campaign to suggest his best can be rediscovered - if he's still there after the summer. AFP -
Timo Werner: 6. The German is a firm fan favourite for his committed displays, and his pace and direct running continued to cause opposition defences problems. Still not enough end product, though, and the goalscoring problems have continued. PA
Lukaku made himself a fan favourite during his two years at Inter after scoring 64 times in 95 games and driving them to their first Serie A title in more than a decade. The 2021 Scudetto triumph ended both an 11-year drought and Juventus' domination of Italian football.
But the joy at Inter was short lived as the financial problems of the club's owners, made worse by the Covid-19 pandemic, saw manager Antonio Conte leave the club unhappy at the proposed cost-cutting that was on the way.
Lukaku would follow Conte out of the door and head back to Chelsea, a club he had left in 2014, on a five-year contract. “I'm happy and blessed to be back at this wonderful club,” Lukaku said at the time.
It looked like a match made in heaven with the reigning European champions short of a reliable goalscorer in attack and Lukaku started well, scoring four times in his first four games.
But it would be December before his next goal would arrive as form, injury and Covid-19 restricted his gametime.
Then came that infamous interview with Sky Italia. “Physically I am fine. But I'm not happy with the situation at Chelsea,” Lukaku said. “Tuchel has chosen to play with another system. I won't give up, I'll be professional.
“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.”
Tuchel dropped Lukaku from their squad for the Premier League game against Liverpool and an uneasy tension between player, club and fans remained for the rest of the campaign.
He did contribute crucial goals against Al Hilal and then Palmeiras in the final to help Chelsea lift the Fifa Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi in February - but would only find the net five more times as his season fizzled out.
