Italian journalist Fabrizio Biasin has given an explanation of why striker Romelu Lukaku chose to leave Inter and join Chelsea this summer.

Speaking to the program “Pressing” on Italian broadcaster Rete 4, the journalist stated that the departure of Antonio Conte at the beginning of the summer was a key factor in the Belgian’s decision not to stay on at the club.

Lukaku’s sale earlier in August sent shockwaves around the Nerazzurri world, with the player having been one of the most effective in Serie A last season and many expecting him to be their key man heading into this season.

Few expected the club to allow the player to leave, but in the end the financial situation caused the decision to be made to accept a significant offer from Chelsea.

The player’s own motivations were similarly ambivalent, but according to Biasin, the striker believed that without Conte he was lacking a reason to remain and was happy to make the switch to Stamford Bridge.

“Chelsea came in with an offer to the Nerazzurri because they had an agreement with ‘Big Rom’ for some time,” Biasin stated, “Precisely since July. Furthermore, I think that if Conte had stayed at Inter, Lukaku would have done the same thing as well.”