Italian agent Diego Tavano has given the view that Inter’s decision to sell striker Romelu Lukaku to Chelsea was a surprising one.

Speaking to Italian news outlet Tuttomercatoweb.com, the agent explained that for him the sale came out of nowhere, and represented part of a broader exodus of top stars from Serie A.

The decision to allow Lukaku to leave at the beginning of last month came as a shock to many, with the Belgian having been a key player in last season’s Scudetto triumph and the club having given signals that no important players would be sold after Achraf Hakimi.

In the end, a credible job has been done in finding the right attacking reinforcements in place of Lukaku, but his loss is nevertheless felt and the sense of controversy around his departure remains.

The Belgian was not the only major player to depart from Italy in an unexpected move, with Juventus striker Cristiano Ronaldo being sold to Manchester United just days before deadline day.

“For Cristiano, I didn’t expect him to go,” Tavano stated. “Just as I didn’t expect Lukaku’s goodbye.”