Today Romelu Lukaku & Achraf Hakimi Miss Inter More Than Inter Misses Them, Italian Media Argue

Former Inter players Romelu Lukaku and Achraf Hakimi have fared worse outside of Inter than the Nerazzurri have without them so far this season.

This is highlighted in today’s print edition of Turin-based newspaper Tuttosport, who note that the former Nerazzurri duo have been in mediocre form for their new clubs.

Lukaku and Hakimi had been among the key pieces in the Inter side that won the Scudetto for the first time in eleven years last campaign under Antonio Conte.

The Italian coach seemed to get the best out of both, building his team to exploit their best qualities and enjoying a fruitful relationship with both players who took to his ideas and starred for the team.

The Nerazzurri parted ways with all three in the summer and were expected by many to struggle moving on from them.

In place of Conte came former Lazio coach Simone Inzaghi, and the likes of Lukaku and Hakimi were replaced by Edin Dzeko, Joaquin Correa, and Denzel Dumfries, less expensive and heralded players but identified as the right replacements.

Inzaghi has changed the style of play at the club and integrated the new players in well, and after an early period of growing pains his team looks all set to make a run at a second consecutive Scudetto.

Lukaku, by contrast, has started just one of the last six matches for his new club Chelsea after having been one of the first names on the teamsheet at Inter in his two seasons at the club.

The Belgian had led the Nerazzurri for both goals and assists to power them to the Serie A title, but for the Blues he has not scored in the league since September 22, or assisted a goal since August 29.

Hakimi, meanwhile, has established himself as the first-choice right-back at Paris Saint-Germain since his summer move, and he has shown major flashes of his talent in the French capital.

Still, it seems as though he has more to give, with the Moroccan not having contributed to a goal in the Champions League across his six starts after having been one of Inter’s most potent attacking outlets under Conte.

It remains to be seen how the two major sales of Inter’s summer of upheaval ultimately settle in at their new clubs, but so far it looks to have been their loss more than Inter’s to have gone away.