by They say that you should never go back in football, but Chelsea have made a minor art form of ensuring that idea is proven to be untrue. Many times, the Blues have brought back former players, even coaches, with impressive success. However, one player who was a relative failure in his first time around at Chelsea, Romelu Lukaku, could be on his way back to the Premier League.
Having signed for Internazionale after a disappointing stint at Manchester United, the Blues fan has been incredible. Arguably the most complete forward in Italian football, he was a leading force in the reason that Inter captured the Scudetto title for the first time since Jose Mourinho was in charge. The title win was sensational, and a barrage of big goals in his two years in black and blue has had teams in England drooling. Long gone are the days of Lukaku looking lacking in fitness and in form like when he was at United; the modern Lukaku is the world-class forward he was always destined to be.
And now it looks like the Blues might have found a way to bring him ‘back home’. The player who was always so keen to remind people of his love for Chelsea could be returning to Stamford Bridge in a blockbuster deal. With Chelsea unable to land a deal for other primary target Erling Haaland, a move for Lukaku has been made – and Inters financial position means that the move is more likely than it ever was.
Earlier in the summer, Lukaku was dubbed one of the few ‘untouchables’ at Inter. Now, though, that stance has softened and it looks pretty likely that ‘Rom’ will be leaving Inter if Chelsea can agree the fee that is being asked.
What has changed for Romelu Lukaku?
The player was keen to state that staying at Inter was his primary goal earlier in the summer. With an asking fee of around £100m, too, it was unlikely that anyone would bid that fee for the 28-year-old. However, despite being happy with the club, it looks like Chelsea’s willingness to make the fee stick has convinced the Belgian that coming back to Chelsea is the right thing to do.
It marks an intriguing act of symmetry, too, as Lukaku previously arrived at Chelsea as European winners. Now he could make that second return, ready to try and commit to winning domestic and further Euro honours. Seen by Chelsea as their top target if they could not land the younger Haaland, the arrival of Lukaku is sure to be a positive one for the club.
Harry Kane was also linked, but the huge cost paired with an inability to make Spurs sell to a London rival means that Lukaku will likely be the premium rate forward bought this summer. For Chelsea fans, all three names are exciting; Lukaku, though, brings a certain romance and the idea of ‘unfinished business’ to be overcome.
