"S**t feeling for all of us that love this beautiful club" - Chelsea loanee Romelu Lukaku sends message to Inter Milan fans after UCL loss
Chelsea loanee Romelu Lukaku has sent Inter Milan fans a message following their Champions League final defeat.
The Nerazzurri lost 1-0 by Manchester City in the final at the Ataturk Stadium in Istanbul last Saturday (June 10). Rodri's 68th-minute finish proved decisive as Pep Guardiola's men won City's first Champions League.
Lukaku came off the bench in the 57th minute but put in a disappointing performance, missing three big chances. The Belgian striker also indirectly prevented his teammate Federico Dimarco from scoring a seemingly certain goal. The 30-year-old looked crestfallen at full time as his side missed out on European glory.
The Chelsea loanee has given his first comments since Inter's loss to City. He sent a message to the Nerazzurri faithful (via transfer expert Fabrizio Romano):
“It wasn’t meant to be. That’s a s**t feeling for all of us that love this beautiful club. But Inter has hunger, and we will fight to hopefully reach that moment of glory one day."
Lukaku's comments come in the midst of speculation regarding his future. He's set to return to Stamford Bridge as things stand when his loan expires at the end of the month.
However, Inter want to keep Lukaku at the San Siro, per The Express. The Belgian scored 14 goals and provided seven assists in 37 games across competitions this season. The club's owner Steven Zhang touched on the striker's love for the Serie A giants:
“Romelu loves Inter; that’s very clear. He’s a great guy, but he’s under contract at Chelsea. We have to wait and speak to Chelsea to make Lukaku’s future clear.”
Lukaku joined Inter for the second time last summer after falling out with former manager Thomas Tuchel at Stamford Bridge. He has three years left in his contract with the Premier League giants and is valued by Transfermarkt at €40 million.
Chelsea won't make Kylian Mbappe move this summer
CBS Sports journalist Ben Jacobs has reported that Chelsea are not willing to join the race to sign Kylian Mbappe from PSG this summer. The Frenchman's future at the Parc des Princes is in doubt, as he has told the Ligue 1 champions that he will not extend his contract that expires in 2024.
That has led to speculation regarding a potential swoop from the west Londoners, but Jacobs has ruled that out, tweeting:
"Understand that Chelsea will NOT enter the race for Kylian Mbappe this summer despite previous interest."
The Telegraph reports that the Blues were previously interested in Mbappe when his contract was expiring last year. He had put pen to paper on a new two-year deal, snubbing the likes of the Stamford Bridge outfit and Real Madrid.
Mbappe has been in fine form this season, scoring 41 goals and providing ten assists in 43 games across competitions. However, it appears that the Frenchman won't be heading to west London this summer.