Romelu Lukaku finally made his return for Inter last week after being absent for two months, but he has now suffered a new setback.
The summer of 2021 saw Chelsea make the decision to bring Lukaku back to Stamford Bridge, and many predicted that the then-champions of Europe had made a move that would ensure ongoing success for years to come.
Tuchel made a staggering £97 million transfer as a declaration of purpose; the German manager had already brought remarkable success to West London by winning the Champions League. There was even speculation that the Blues would challenge Manchester City and Liverpool for the league championship that season by bringing in the Serie A, who had recently won the Scudetto at Inter.
Get Instantly Update By: Joining Our Whatapps and Telegram Channel
But things didn’t work out that way, and less than 18 months later he is on loan at Inter after scoring only 15 goals in 44 appearances for Chelsea last season in all competitions. This was highlighted by a shocking interview he gave in December in which he attacked the previous manager and declared his wish to return to Inter.
A loan agreement was made in the summer for Lukaku to return to Milan, where he had outstanding success during his first two seasons, and he has finally fulfilled his goal. The Belgian frontman has only made five appearances this season and has scored twice, so once again, things have not gone as planned.
The 29-year-old has a history of injuries and just recently returned from a two-month absence when he sustained a new ailment last week. Having only recently returned during last week’s Champions League victory against Viktoria Plzen, in which he scored, he managed 22 minutes against Sampdoria before the current problem surfaced.
The striker’s loan move may have been a step toward a permanent return to Italy after his historic transfer to Chelsea. However, with Edin Dzeko and Lautaro Martinez developing a strong combination in his absence, there is a risk that Inter will decide against paying the high transfer cost and salary for a player who hasn’t yet been totally healthy for them this season.
A player who may not have a place at Stamford Bridge despite having three years left on an absurdly high reported £17 million per year contract at Stamford Bridge will be a nightmare for Chelsea owner Todd Boehly and manager Graham Potter.
Despite his injury difficulties, he continues to be Belgium’s all-time leading scorer, and Roberto Martinez appears to be confident in having him start as the striker. Potter and Boehly will be left wondering what they can do to resurrect the career of one of international football’s most lethal frontmen if he is unable to deliver the kind of performances that propelled the Red Devils to the tournament’s semifinals in 2018.