Striker Romelu Lukaku returns to Chelsea on a five-year deal, 10 years after he first joined the club. Chelsea signed Lukaku for a club record of £97.5m from Inter Milan.
Romelu Lukaku on his return in Chelsea
“I’m happy and blessed to be back at this wonderful club. It’s been a long journey for me: I came here as a kid who had a lot to learn, now I’m coming back with a lot of experience and more mature. The relationship I have with this club means so much to me, as you know. I have supported Chelsea as a kid and now to be back and try to help them win more titles is an amazing feeling.” said Lukaku
“The way this club is going fits my ambitions perfectly at 28 and just coming off winning Serie A. I think this opportunity comes at the right time and hopefully, we can have a lot of success together.”
“Since I left Chelsea, it’s been a long journey with a lot of ups and downs. But these experiences made me strong and the challenge is to try to help the team win some more trophies. I can’t wait to get started and to help the club achieve more success.” He added
Lukaku made only 15 appearances for Chelsea before being sold to Everton in 2014. He scored 24 goals and 11 assists in Serie A last season and helped Inter Milan win their first Serie A title after 11 years. He was also named the league’s MVP for his brilliant performance. Lukaku was the highest scorer for Inter Milan and the second-highest scorer in the league, behind Ronaldo.
Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia on Lukaku
“Romelu Lukaku is quite simply one of the world’s best strikers and goalscorers. We are absolutely delighted to be bringing him back to the club he loves, and are excited to be adding his talent to our Champions League-winning squad.”
“We are of course looking to build on last season’s success, and Lukaku will play a big role in achieving our targets. I’m sure all Chelsea fans will join me in saying welcome home, Romelu!”
Lukaku’s International career
Lukaku made his senior international debut as a 16-year-old in 2010. Since then he has netted 64 goals in 98 appearances, making him Belgium’s all-time top goalscorer. He has been in flying form in recent times. He was named in UEFA’s team of the tournament for Euro 2020. The 28-year-old scored four goals in the tournament and helped Belgium to qualify for the quarterfinals. At the 2018 World Cup, Lukaku led Belgium to a third-place finish by finishing as the joint second-highest goalscorer and won the Bronze Boot.
“This is a fantastic move at every level. Romelu knows the Premier League inside out,” said Belgium boss Martinez