"He obviously likes to win and that's his nature" – Jose Mourinho makes interesting claim about Romelu Lukaku despite Chelsea struggles
Roma manager Jose Mourinho has asserted that Chelsea loanee Romelu Lukaku is thriving as he is delighted to be at the Stadio Olimpico.
Lukaku, 30, was the subject of a transfer saga with Chelsea pushing to offload him throughout the summer transfer window. He was allegedly linked with a permanent move to the likes of Juventus and Inter Milan, where the Belgian striker spent last campaign on loan.
However, in the final days of last month, the former Manchester United man sealed a season-long temporary transfer to Roma for a loan sum of around £8 million. He opened his account for his new team in a 7-0 Serie A home win against Empoli on Sunday (September 17).
Speaking recently to DAZN, Mourinho shared his thoughts on Lukaku's start to his life at the Giallorossi and stated that he is happy. He said:
"I found him happy, Romelu needs to be happy, to feel loved and wanted. He arrived here and immediately felt that the team needed a player like him. I think he's really happy, he obviously likes to win and that's his nature."
Addressing the Inter Milan ultras' uproar about Lukaku being interested in securing a move to Juventus earlier this summer, Mourinho added:
"At Inter, they have no reason to be angry because they won a derby 5-1 and have an extraordinary team, with many attackers. They must be happy for their former coach who needed Romelu."
Lukaku, who joined Chelsea from Inter Milan for a fee of 97.5 million in 2021, was believed to be out of Blues manager Mauricio Pochettino's plans last month. As a result, he was also linked with certain Saudi Arabian clubs apart from the aforesaid Serie A outfits.
So far, Lukaku has scored one goal in two Serie A matches for Roma.
How does Chelsea's squad depth look like?
Chelsea spent the entirety of last summer trying to offload Romelu Lukaku as they were in the process of rebuilding their squad. Moreover, they were also reported to have lost patience with the 30-year-old due to both his poor performances and his off-the-pitch attitude.
In preparation for the Belgian's exit, the west London outfit signed Nicolas Jackson in a £32 million permanent deal from Villarreal earlier this July. They also snapped up Brazilian teenager Deivid Washington from Santos for around £17 million in the final week of August.
However, none of the summer signings have relished a promising start to their new chapters. While 22-year-old Jackson has scored just one goal in five appearances so far, Washington has warmed the bench twice.