On Wednesday, Lukaku returned to Inter Milan as he wished. However, his performance while playing for Manchester United and Chelsea still weakened Lukaku's self-confidence. "Sky Sports" reporter Ben Glanz analyzed Lukaku's performance in Premier League . The following is the full text translation.
"I sincerely hope to return to Inter Milan, not at the end of my career, but when I have a good level, hoping to win more."
Lukaku realized his wish, maybe he It's even earlier than expected.
In December 2021, Lukaku made these explosive remarks during a 29-minute interview with Sky TV in Italy, which also marked the beginning of his breakup with Chelsea.
.2 billion pounds transfer fee and 121 goals
In the summer window of 2021, the Blues signed Lukaku for a team-record 97.5 million pounds. Lukaku returned to Stamford Bridge 10 years later.
In 2011, the 18-year-old Lukaku moved to Chelsea from Anderlecht . Playing for the Blues for the second time, he signed a five-year contract, with a weekly salary of 200,000 pounds, making him the highest-paid player.
However, when Lukaku returned to San Siro on Wednesday, there was a sense of déjà vu.
During his career, Lukaku’s transfer fees have accumulated as high as 285.6 million pounds. So, what kind of performance does he have in the Premier League?
When we look back at his busy career, it always leaves a feeling of incompleteness.
After a successful loan career, Lukaku joined Everton in July 2014 for a transfer fee of 28 million pounds. Three years later, he switched to Manchester United for a transfer fee of 75 million pounds and signed a five-year contract, which did not expire until this summer.
After an unsuccessful spell with the Red Devils, Lukaku restored his reputation as one of Europe's top forwards at Inter Milan before returning to Stamford Bridge for a transfer fee of £97.5 million.
In the Premier League alone, Lukaku's cumulative transfer fee exceeds 200 million pounds, and he occupies two of the top five positions in the Premier League club transfer fee rankings. In the Premier League, Lukaku scored a total of 121 goals, ranking 19th in the Premier League's historical rankings. Why did
leave Inter Milan?
When the media and fans were happy that Nunez switched to Liverpool and Haaland joined Manchester City , Lukaku's experience was a wake-up call for them.
Lukaku returned to Italy and returned to a familiar environment. He hopes to feel loved, and also hopes to play in a system that suits his style . In order to return to Inter Milan, Lukaku was even willing to cut his salary by 30%.
At Chelsea, coached by Tuchel , Lukaku has never integrated into the team. This brings up another question: Why did he leave Inter Milan in the first place?
Lukaku later admitted that leaving Inter Milan was not something he had complete control over, "I was a huge investment for Inter Milan, but we did great things together."
"So, after winning Serie A After the championship, I went to talk to the club management and wanted to sign a new contract. I did this because I told myself that I am 28 years old and my family feels good at Milan, my mother, my son. We can live here and we will be very comfortable."
"But they don't want to renew my contract. It's not possible. It's hard for me to accept because I always told myself that I can play in Milan for a few more years."
" They didn't try to renew my contract, which bothered me a little and even hurt me. If Inter Milan gives me a new contract, I will 100% stay with the team. This is self-evident."
"He has crossed the line"
There is no doubt that Lukaku's remarks annoyed Tuchel. The Blues boss said his comments were "unhelpful" and were "creating noise we don't need" for Chelsea. However, Tuchel also said that Lukaku did not look uneasy.
Later, in Chelsea's home game against Liverpool, Lukaku returned to the bench. Just three days later, Lukaku returned to the starting lineup in the first leg of the League Cup semi-finals against Tottenham .
However, his remarks aroused dissatisfaction from the media. Legendary coach and "Sky Sports" commentator Souness believed that Lukaku's behavior "crossed the line."
"You try to understand what stage a player has to reach before he makes such ridiculous, damaging comments."
"We all play with players who are giving their best every training session, every game. Played together. Lukaku is a very strong player, but the coach rarely lets him play. "
" He has a strong body and must play often to score goals. I think Rooney also needs to be like this. To perform at the best level. Lukaku said such nonsense because he was frustrated that he did not enter the starting lineup after returning.
This is so rude, he is 29 years old, not 19 years old. Should know what to do . It does a lot of damage to the club, it's like you go into the dressing room and tell your teammates, 'I don't want to play with you anymore.'"It does a lot of damage to the coach. , he should have said, 'If you don't like it here, that's the door. Let's go! ’ If I were Tuchel, the first thing I would do is tell Lukaku that he needs to apologize. He should stand up in front of everyone in the locker room and apologize without reservation. "
" If Lukaku doesn't apologize, then the right thing has been done (leaving him out) . Tuchel drew a line and Lukaku crossed it. He must apologize to his teammates. His behavior was beyond belief. "
Gary Neville believes that if Lukaku is telling the truth, then there is no need for him to apologize. However, he needs to work hard to win the trust of the coach and fans.
The birth of embarrassing records
Because of this interview, The relationship between the two sides completely broke down. Although it recovered later, the situation did not improve significantly. In the
2 game against Crystal Palace, Lukaku played 90 minutes for the first time since the OPTA website started counting. Premier League record for the fewest touches.
At Selhurst Park, Lukaku only touched the ball 7 times, including the kick-off. "Now is not the time to laugh," Tuchel said after the game.
When asked how he could get Lukaku to touch the ball more often, the Chelsea boss said: "What can I do? I have no idea. We must solve this problem. The "
" data is there, and the data will tell you something. He didn't fit into our tactics, as forwards sometimes do. If they aren't confident enough and can't find space against a team that defends well, then maybe that will be the case. "
"This is not what we want, nor is it what Lukaku wants, but now is not the time to laugh at him or make fun of him. He's been put in the spotlight, but we're going to protect him. "After
, Lukaku only scored 3 goals in the Premier League, two of which were scored against Wolves. Tuchel had the opportunity to praise Lukaku's performance to help the latter regain his confidence. But his reaction was lukewarm.
“Well, he’s doing well, but it’s certainly not the time to praise players. As a team, we need to play like this, we lost key points, now is not the time to praise the players. "
html He has never won a championship in his 68-year Premier League career.
's remarks during an interview with Sky TV proved that Lukaku's confidence in the Premier League was frustrated. He said that one of the reasons for his return to the Premier League was that he failed to win any trophies.
"In the eight years I've been playing in England, I haven't even won anything and that bothers me.
However, Lukaku's self-confidence took a further hit when Tuchel found a way to win without him .Lukaku was frustrated when he did not return to the starting lineup immediately after returning from injury.
Havertz changed to a pseudo center, which allowed him to cooperate more tacitly with Pulisic , Mount , Ziyech , Werner , and Chelsea's offense became smoother. Considering Lukaku's brilliant start since returning to the Blues, Tuchel's tactic hastened an unexpected ending.
In the first 6 games for club and national team, Lukaku scored 7 goals, which made people think that he would help Chelsea win the Premier League championship for the first time since 2017. In some quarters, he is seen as Chelsea's "last missing piece of the puzzle".
"Sky Sports" reporter Peter Smith was inclined to believe that Chelsea would win the Premier League championship at the beginning of last season. "In last season, only six Premier League teams had a lower shot conversion rate than Chelsea, and three of them were relegated."
"However, Chelsea fans believe they are getting a star striker. Lukaku is only 28 and he is in his prime. Although he will play it down, he still has something to prove."
He played for Chelsea The final goal that summed up his Chelsea career. In the battle against Leeds United, his 6th shot and 1st shot on target finally resulted in a goal. In a game that Chelsea won 3-0, he scored the third goal and finally got relief.
His last appearance for the Blues was a 1-1 draw with Leicester City . At that time, he started and played 78 minutes, but his performance was frustrating and he was subsequently replaced by Havertz. When Tuchel needed players with more energy, Lukaku was given up again.
After the end of the season, Chelsea's new boss Burley was very firm, "One of the non-negotiable things in the club is full dedication to the team."
After consolidating his coaching position, Tuchel can focus on rebuilding the team . Sterling, Rafinha, Dembele, Conde, De Ligt, Ake, and Skriniar are all his signing targets.
Chelsea has entered a new era. Although a striker who is highly respected in Europe leaves, the loss to Chelsea is not great. However, when Lukaku left the Premier League, he knew he left behind regrets and unfinished business.
