Chelsea return was ‘chance of a lifetime’ Lukaku writes Inter fans
Romelu Lukaku has written an open letter to Inter Milan fans, thanking them for their support during his two years at the club but insisting he could not turn down the “chance of a lifetime” to rejoin Chelsea.
Lukaku returned to Chelsea this week in a club-record £97.5m transfer, 10 years after he first signed for the club as a teenager from Anderlecht.
Romelu Lukaku has written an open letter to Inter Milan fans, thanking them for their support during his two years at the club but insisting he could not turn down the “chance of a lifetime” to rejoin Chelsea.
Lukaku returned to Chelsea this week in a club-record £97.5m transfer, 10 years after he first signed for the club as a teenager from Anderlecht.
Inter originally insisted the 28-year-old was not for sale but ultimately agreed to his departure amid pressure to raise funds this summer.
Addressing the club’s supporters for the first time since leaving, Lukaku wrote on Twitter: “Dear Inter fans. Thank you… Thank you for making me and my family feel at home in Milano.
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“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. I gave 100 per cent in every training session and every game so that I could make you proud.
“Our first season ended in the toughest possible way but you guys gave me the strength to continue to keep pushing and we did as a team. That’s why we became champions together.
“I hope you guys understand my decision to move on to Chelsea. It’s the chance of lifetime for me and I think at this time of my career it is a chance that I always dreamed of.
“One thing is for sure and that is that I will always remain an ‘interista’ because without you I wouldn’t be the player or man I am today. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
Lukaku – who grew up a Chelsea supporter – is understood to feel he has a point to prove at Stamford Bridge following his underwhelming first spell.
Chelsea also held an interest in Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland and Tottenham’s Harry Kane this summer, but opted for Lukaku to try to solve the issues that saw seven other sides score more Premier League goals than them last season.