Romelu Lukaku has landed in Rome for season-long loan

Controversial comments result in another Lukaku loan-out

After making numerous attempts to find a club willing to accommodate Romelu Lukaku for the season, including Inter Milan and Juventus, Chelsea, in collaboration with the player, have agreed on a season-long deal to AS Romas, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Lukaku’s problems with the club began back in January 2022 with a controversial interview broadcast on Sky Italia.

In the interview, the Belgian striker welcomed the media into his home to voice his dissatisfaction with his situation at Chelsea. He also openly criticized both the manager and the tactical system in place. This interview – which took place in December 2021 – occurred during Thomas Tuchel’s tenure as manager of the club.

The incident took place shortly after his much-touted “dream move” to Chelsea – a phrase he has frequently employed, though it was initially embraced by the Blues. However, it significantly distressed the fans of Inter Milan, the club he departed from.

Amidst this controversy, Lukaku asserted his desire to return to Inter Milan. However, the Italian club found themselves unable to meet the price demanded by Chelsea, given that they had originally sold him to the Blues for a higher amount.

Consequently, the only viable solution was to arrange a loan. As the season approached its end, Lukaku expressed his preference to continue with Inter Milan. However, Chelsea was reluctant to agree to another loan arrangement, hoping instead for a permanent transfer. Despite Chelsea’s interest in a permanent deal, Inter Milan was still not prepared to proceed with the purchase at that point in time.

During the current transfer window, Juventus showed a keen interest in the striker. However, this pursuit was abruptly shut down when Juventus fans stormed the pitch in protest against the potential signing during a pre-season game.

Subsequently, Lukaku returned to Cobham, Chelsea’s training ground. However, reports indicated that Pochettino prevented him from training with the main squad and instead relegated him to solitary training. Furthermore, he was not allocated an official squad number for the season, despite remaining registered with the club.

Chelsea are said to be on the final stages of talks with a negotiated fee of £5 million. The deal is expected to be finalized on Wednesday as Lukaku has already landed in Roma.