Romelu Lukaku ended his standoff with Chelsea by arriving within the Italian capital on Tuesday with the purpose of becoming a member of Italian membership Roma on a season-long loan deal that may see the Belgium striker look to revive his profession in a 3rd spell underneath coach Jose Mourinho.
Throngs of yellow-and-red clad Roma followers had been awaiting Lukaku at the Ciampino airport as he descended from a aircraft flown by Roma’s American proprietor Dan Friedkin.
Lukaku was present process a medical with Roma instantly after his arrival after which can signal with the Giallorossi.
The value of the loan for the 30-year-old Lukaku is reportedly 8 million kilos ($10 million), taking the cumulative switch charges spent on the previous Manchester United, Everton and Inter Milan heart ahead to almost 300 million kilos (round $375 million) — second solely to Neymar in soccer historical past.
Chelsea definitely hasn’t bought its cash’s value out of Lukaku since he joined from Inter Milan for a club-record payment of $135 million in August 2021 for a second spell at the west London staff.
He scored simply eight targets in 26 Premier League appearances in his first yr again, when he was dropped halfway via the season for saying in a newspaper interview that he wasn’t completely happy at Chelsea. Lukaku then spent final season again at Inter Milan on loan.
It turned clear through the current offseason that the connection between Chelsea and Lukaku was damaged, so the race was on to discover a membership for the striker earlier than the tip of the switch window.
Juventus was linked with a transfer for Lukaku however a piece of the membership’s followers voiced its objection.
Ultimately, Roma has determined to take an opportunity on Lukaku, uniting him once more with Mourinho after stints underneath the Portuguese coach at Chelsea (2013-14) — even when he was despatched on loan to Everton that season — and at Manchester United from 2017-18.
Considered for a time as one of many world’s most devastating strikers, Lukaku — the file scorer for Belgium’s nationwide staff — has been criticized for his health ranges and ending capability in current seasons. The final time he delivered a streak of persistently robust performances was throughout Inter’s run to the Italian title in 2020-21, when he was the membership’s high scorer and second solely to Cristiano Ronaldo in Serie A.
Injuries have additionally set again Lukaku, who wasn’t totally match at final yr’s World Cup in Qatar and missed a slew of nice probabilities within the group finale in opposition to Croatia as Belgium was eradicated within the group stage.
His future at Chelsea appears to be like bleak, particularly if Mauricio Pochettino hangs round as supervisor.
Pochettino did not even confer with Lukaku by identify when answering quite a few questions on striker final Thursday, as an alternative saying “the player.”
He wasn’t ready to reintegrate Lukaku to the squad regardless of a prolonged early season damage record that has left Pochettino with just one match acknowledged striker — offseason signing Nicolas Jackson.
Lukaku will at least be taking part in in European competitors this season at Roma, which certified for the Europa League. Chelsea did not qualify for Europe.
Roma wanted a brand new heart ahead with Tammy Abraham out long-term after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee within the last match of Serie A final season.
Andrea Belotti has performed nicely to this point changing Abraham with two targets in Roma’s opening 2-2 draw with Salernitana. Roma was then overwhelmed 2-1 by Hellas Verona in its second match.
Roma has reached two consecutive European finals underneath Mourinho, successful the inaugural Conference League in 2022 and dropping the Europa League last to Sevilla at the tip of final season.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
Romelu Lukaku
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