The return of striker Romelu Lukaku on loan from Chelsea has been Inter’s “great disappointment” for the year 2022.

This is the view of Italian news outlet L’Interista, who note that both the Nerazzurri and the Belgian will be desperate to have this impression erased in 2023.

Inter have had a turbulent 2022 to the say the least, with triumphs in the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana offset by the narrow loss to city rivals AC Milan in the Serie A title race at the climax of last season.

The Nerazzurri’s summer was also a dramatic one, including the failure to sign high-profile transfer targets Bremer and Paulo Dybala.

The arrival of Lukaku back on loan from Chelsea was one of the few unmitigated positives in the summer, at least on paper, however.

The Belgian’s return was highly improbable considering he’d left to join Chelsea on an enormous fee just one season prior.

However, Lukaku and Inter made it happen, in what was one of the most high-profile deals of the summer.

However, contrary to the expectations around the 29-year-old’s return, he has hardly made an impact due to injuries and fitness.

Accordingly, Lukaku has went from one of the bright spots of Inter’s 2022 to an even greater disappointment than the failure to win the Scudetto or sign Bremer.

Now, the Nerazzurri will have to hope that redemption on the pitch can make Lukaku one of the positives of their 2023.