Romelu Lukaku admits Chelsea return was a ‘mistake’

Lukaku returned to Inter Milan on loan this summer

Romelu Lukaku has admitted that it was a "mistake" to leave Inter Milan last summer after he spoke for the first time since returning on loan. Lukaku left the club to rejoin Chelsea for a £97m fee last season but failed to hit the ground running, despite scoring 15 goals in all competitions. The Belgium international also caused controversy towards the end of 2021, when he spoke of his love for Inter and a desire to return the club, angering Chelsea fans. After speaking with Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel, the two agreed to let him leave on loan and return to Inter, where he is hoping to rediscover the scoring form he experienced with the Nerazzurri.

'It was a mistake'

Following his return to Italy, Lukaku also admitted that he should never have left Inter and that this season will be the biggest one of his career so far. "The biggest challenge of my career will be this season here. I left. It was a mistake," he said during Inter's kit launch. "Now I am happy to be wearing this jersey, the team knows what we need to do, it’ll be a great challenge this season and we need to continue like this."

'I realised last season when I was in England, just how important Inter are in the world'

Lukaku added that didn't realise what he had left until he arrived back in England. "I realised last season when I was in England, just how important Inter are in the world," he said. "The club’s profile is improving on an international scale, the social media approach is really important too and you can see how we act in the locker room, in training, our hugs and jokes. "Milan is a wonderful city and that is why I kept the old apartment when I went to London, because my mother was coming here all the time and I wanted to return too." It remains to be seen what Lukaku's long-term future will look like, but it seems increasingly unlikely that it will be at Stamford Bridge. Related links:

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