Romelu Lukaku's 'unwanted air of superiority' didn't go down well with Chelsea teammates: Reports
Chelsea players were reportedly extremely unhappy with Romelu Lukaku's attitude during his second spell at Stamford Bridge.
The 29-year-old forward recently rejoined Inter Milan on a season-long loan following a disastrous season at the west London club. He scored just 15 times in 44 appearances since moving to Chelsea for a club-record fee of £97.5 million. He was also regularly left out of Thomas Tuchel's side for their most important games of the campaign.
Romelu Lukaku will spend the 2022/23 campaign with Inter Milan after completing a season-long loan. ⤵️
Lukaku's return to the side where he won the Serie A title comes just a year after he signed for the Blues from Inter.
According to The Athletic (via The Metro), the Belgian failed to settle in and 'angered' his Chelsea teammates by acting as if he was 'better' than them.
Much of Tuchel's squad felt that Lukaku 'gave off an unwarranted air of superiority'. He didn't respect the prior achievements of his new teammates, who had won the Champions League just a month prior to his arrival.
Lukaku caused great anger at the west London outfit by taking part in an interview with Sky Italia in January. In the interview, he declared his unhappiness with Tuchel's tactics and expressed his desire to move back to Inter Milan.
Romelu Lukaku receives a warm welcome from Inter Milan fans 👋🇮🇹 https://t.co/hlgRrNXwaO
Romelu Lukaku claims he is "very happy" to be back at Inter Milan following Chelsea departure
The big Belgian forward made no secret of the fact that he wanted to return to the Nerrazurri after enjoying an incredibly successful first spell there. He contributed 24 goals and 10 assists in 36 league matches in the 2020-21 season, guiding Inter to their first Scudetto in a decade.
Lukaku will wear the number 90 shirt at the San Siro in the upcoming campaign and said upon his arrival, as per The Sun:
"My family and I were so happy here thanks to the people, the fans and my team-mates. From the first day I arrived here, everyone helped me settle in. I'm very happy. I kept my home here when I went to England, so that means something. I'm pleased to be back and now I can't wait to get out there with my team-mates."
He added:
"It's an amazing feeling. What we achieved here a year ago was fantastic. That goes for the team, the fans and also me personally. Inter have given me so much and I hope to do even better than last time. It's now time to work hard as a squad and hopefully do even better than before."
Romelu Lukaku has finally returned 'home'. 🤝 https://t.co/yvqPwDuYqV