Romelu Lukaku has admitted that his record-breaking return to Chelsea in 2021 was a mistake, expressing regret over how he left Inter Milan. The 32-year-old striker is set to face his former club with Napoli in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Lukaku joined Inter in 2019 after a difficult spell at Manchester United, winning Serie A, the Coppa Italia and the Supercoppa Italiana. In 2021, Chelsea submitted an £85m bid, which eventually rose to a club-record £97.5m, and Lukaku pushed for the move. However, his second stint at Stamford Bridge was unsuccessful, and he later apologised to Inter fans for the manner of his departure.
Speaking about his exit, Lukaku said: 'I don't think any of it should have happened the way it did. The way I left Inter and the way I communicated with the Inter fans... I want to really apologise to the Inter fans because I don't think I should have left Inter the way I did.' He added that he hoped to return to Inter 'when I'm still at a good enough level to win more trophies.'
Lukaku did return to Inter on loan for the 2022/23 season, during which he described his initial exit as a 'mistake'. He now plays for Napoli, the current Serie A champions, and will face Chelsea in a Champions League clash this week.
