Chelsea new-boy Romelu Lukaku has spoken with great honesty about how his transfer back to Stamford Bridge came about this summer.
The Belgium international admits he found it difficult to leave Inter Milan and didn’t want to go behind their backs after they rescued him from a “deep hole” at Manchester United a few years ago.
Lukaku struggled in his two years at Old Trafford but now looks one of the signings of the summer after moving back to the Premier League with Chelsea.
Blues fans will no doubt be intrigued to hear more from Lukaku about how this all came about.
“I only realized that Chelsea were serious when they made their third offer,” Lukaku told HLN.
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“First they offered €100m (£85m). Then €105m (£90m), €105m plus [Marcos] Alonso. Then they offered €110m (£94.2m) plus [Davide] Zappacosta, but Inter said no.
“I didn’t want to go behind Inter’s back. They got me out of the s***. I was in a deep hole at Man United.
“After training I went to [Simone] Inzaghi’s office. I didn’t want to ruin the atmosphere because I was no longer with my head in Milan. So I asked him: please find an agreement.”
Lukaku clearly felt strongly about Inter, but also found it too difficult to turn down the chance to play for Chelsea again after his spell there as a youngster.
The 28-year-old’s Instagram farewell to the Nerazzuri supporters sums up his feelings well.
“Dear Inter fans, Thank you. Thank you for loving me as one of your own. Thank you for making me and my family feel at home in Milan,” he told them.
“Thank you for the unconditional support and love on a daily basis. Thank you for motivating me even more after the first season.
“When I came to Inter, I immediately felt that I would do well for this club.
“The love and reception I first received at Malpensa airport was the start of a beautiful story. I made it my mission to never let you down every time I wore the Inter shirt.
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“I gave 100% in every training session and every game so that I could make you proud.
“I hope you guys understand my decision to move on to Chelsea.
“It’s a chance of a lifetime for me and I think at this time of my career it is a chance that I always dreamed of.”