Romelu Lukaku: I knew if it didn't work out at Chelsea, I still had Inter

• Lukaku returned to Inter in 2022
• Struggled to settle at Chelsea
• Remains keen to continue at San Siro

WHAT HAPPENED? The Belgian striker returned to San Siro in the summer of 2022 just one year after he joined Chelsea for a then-club-record fee of £100 million. He struggled to adjust to the tactical demands of Thomas Tuchel in west London, leading to just 15 goals in 44 appearances and was then shipped back to Inter for a loan fee of £6.8m, with the potential for performance-related add-ons. Lukaku has now suggested that he always had a back-up plan in mind, if things turned sour at Chelsea.

WHAT THEY SAID: “I was good at Chelsea last season. But I knew then that if it didn’t work out at Chelsea, I still had Inter. When I signed again, I knew: I belong here. I had that too at Anderlecht. I take this club seriously. I want to do my best. The people here see that. Being encouraged here is the best thing there is," he said speaking to Het Laatste Nieuws.

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Lukaku's loan deal with Inter ends in the summer and the Nerazzurri CEO, Beppe Marotta stated that there is a “six out of 10” chance of him returning to Stamford Bridge. However, the striker is not ready to commit his future to Chelsea at the moment and insisted that he is not thinking in the long term.

"We’ll see, I live from day to day. I don’t experience any stress or pressure. A decision must be made. That’s it," he said in the Amazon documentary One for All.

IN TWO PHOTOS:

WHAT NEXT? Lukaku has revived his form of late and will be hoping to earn a place in the starting XI to help fire Inter to the Coppa Italia trophy on Wednesday evening against Fiorentina at Stadio Olimpico.