Romelu Lukaku will have two main objectives for next season as he once again wears the Inter shirt, firstly earning the forgiveness of fans for his move away last summer and then proving that he can once again make the difference for the Serie A title.
This according to today’s print edition of Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, who report that the Belgian wants to reassert himself as a Nerazzurri player both on and off the pitch.
Lukaku’s sale to Chelsea right around one year ago came as a massive shock to fans as well as the players and staff, as it came after a whirlwind process which saw the Belgian leave virtually overnight.
The departure left many negative feelings among fans, whilst the player himself came to quickly regret the decision, so much so that he pushed to return to Inter, successfully in the end.
Now Lukaku is once again an Inter player, but it will not be straightforward for the 29-year-old to simply pick up where he left off.
The relationship with Inter supporters is still something that has to be repaired, and whilst fans will be happy to see the Belgian back in an Inter shirt he also knows that they will expect him to prove himself and earn their trust again.
Moreover, the striker knows that the circumstances of the past couple years will put massive pressure on him to prove that he can drag Inter back to the top of the hill within Italian football.
Lukaku’s first spell in Milan climaxed in Inter’s first Serie A title in eleven years, and in his season away in the Premier League the Nerazzurri were knocked from their perch by city rivals AC Milan.
The Belgian will be keen to earn the fans’ trust by having the same kind of impact that he did the first time around, and to get one over on an old rival in the form of Rossoneri striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Lukaku had earned the title of “King of Milan” ahead of the Swede in the eyes of Inter fans during his initial time at the club, and it is something he is very keen to hold once again, but he knows that it is something he must earn again rather than simply being entitled to.
