Former Inter striker Romelu Lukaku was happy at the Nerazzurri and connected with the fans, but in the end he decided on joining Chelsea when the offer came.
This according to Blues head coach Thomas Tuchel, who explained at the Trento Festival of Sport as reported by FCInterNews that the Belgian striker ultimately made up his mind to seek a new challenge in London.
Lukaku enjoyed two highly successful years playing under Antonio Conte at Inter, culminating in leading the club to their first Scudetto in eleven years while top of Serie A in joint goals and assists.
The 28-year-old’s departure rocked the Nerazzurri given his significance on the pitch as well as his popularity with the fans, but as Tuchel explained he wanted to make the switch.
The Nerazzurri have looked to move on from the presence of Lukaku leading the line with a new-look attack which has so far looked strong, while the Belgian is settling in to the club where he believes he can prove himself best.
“I’m sorry for all the Inter fans but, like everyone, we try to improve our team and we have identified in him a very physical striker,” Tuchel explained, “a point of reference in attack, a player with personality who could also lift the pressure from the shoulders of the younger players.”
“And there are not many players with this profile,” the coach went on. “He had said that he was fine with Inter, and with Antonio Conte, because he had achieved excellent results, but ending his career at Chelsea, in England, where he started, was very important for Romelu. The risk in this case was minimal. He wanted Chelsea, and for us he was important.”
