Joining Chelsea for a second stint, the Belgian marksman has claimed that his rough record at Stamford Bridge does not mean that he has anything to prove in English football. The former Inter Milan striker joined the West London outfit in a mammoth £97.5 million transfer.
Lukaku did not manage to secure a starting spot at Chelsea during his first stint as a teenager back in 2011. However, he had great spells with West Bromwich Albion and Everton on loan.
He then made a big move to Manchester United and despite having several great outings, wasn’t consistent enough at Old Trafford. The striker grew out of favour under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and therefore decided to leave for Internazionale.
He rejuvenated his career in Italy under the tutelage of Antonio Conte and last season helped the Nerazzurri to win their first Serie A title in 11 years. Lukaku played a key role in their domestic triumph as he finished second in the goalscoring charts.
However, things have changed at Inter Milan with the club going through financial difficulties. They had to allow Conte to leave while Achraf Hakimi and Lukaku have also left Milan this summer.
Speaking at his introductory press conference, the 28-year-old striker said, “I don’t have to prove anything to anyone. The only thing that motivates me is myself. I am a self-motivator and always have been. I’m a Chelsea player and happy to be here now.
“I have experienced success elsewhere and also a different playing style where it’s more technical based and tactical. The Premier League has a bit of everything and the experiences I had a few years ago were great. I loved every minute of it on and off the field but the experiences in Italy made me more complete as a player.
“Now it’s just about what I have learned in Italy. Watching the Premier League over the last few years, the players have got better, the teams have got better and I am ready for the challenge.”
Despite guiding the Blues to the Champions League last season, Thomas Tuchhel was not convinced with the forward line at Chelsea. While Timo Werner has not yet found his feet in England, Olivier Giroud has already departed to join AC Milan and Tammy Abraham has also left the club to join AS Roma.
The German tactician wants the club to be consistent at the European level, and hence he is keen to bring in reinforcements. Lukaku feels that he has learned a lot in his first stint at Chelsea and will hopefully be ready to deliver for the Blues right from the start.
“I was young and I don’t think I was as evolved as I am now. My journey has had a lot of ups and downs but at the end of the day if you keep performing you know that you will always get a chance. My relationship with the club has always been great and now to be back at the perfect time is a good feeling,”
the 28-year-old concluded.
