Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku has confessed his love for former club Inter and admitted he hopes to return to San Siro before he passes his peak.
After seven years away, Lukaku rejoined the Blues in the summer in a blockbuster transfer worth £97.5m. The Belgian has scored seven goals in 18 appearances so far this season and has struggled at times, although a lengthy lay-off with an ankle injury followed by a bout of Covid-19 has not helped his cause.
The 28-year-old was prolific during his time in Milan and developed a devastating partnership with Argentine Lautaro Martinez. He netted 30 times and laid on ten more as Inter claimed a first Scudetto in a decade last term. That followed a 34-goal season in 2019/20.
Having initially distanced himself from move to Chelsea last summer and publicly insisting he was happy and would remain at San Siro, Lukaku eventually had his head turned and rejoined the club he left in 2014.
Speaking to Sky Sports Italy, Lukaku apologised to the Nerazzurri for the way he left the club, and revealed he wants to return to Inter in the future.
"I think everything that happened was not supposed to happen like this. How I left Inter, how I communicated with the fans, this bothers me because it is not the right time now, but even when I left it was not the right time," he said.
"Now I think it is right to speak because I have always said that I have Inter in my heart, I will return to play there, I really hope so. I am in love with Italy, this is rightly the time to talk and let people know what really happened without talking badly about people because I am not like that."
He continued: "First I want to say a big apology to the Inter fans because I think the way I left should have been different. I had to talk to you first, because the things you have done for me, for my family, for my mother, for my son, are things that remain for me in life.
"I really hope in the depths of my heart to return to Inter, not at the end of my career, but at a still good level to hopefully win more."
In the same interview, Lukaku also suggested he was unsatisfied with how his first season back at Chelsea had progressed so far.
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Source : 90min