"There has to be politeness and respect" - Inter Milan director slams Chelsea loanee Romelu Lukaku for summer transfer saga
Inter Milan director Piero Ausilio launched a scathing attack on Chelsea loanee Romelu Lukaku for the Belgian's striker role in his protracted summer transfer saga.
Lukaku spent the 2022-23 season away on loan with the Nerazzuri and regained his form towards the end of the campaign. That led to speculations of Inter potentially trying to make Lukaku's move permanent.
While the Serie A giants tried repeatedly, they couldn't come to an agreement on financial terms with Chelsea. Lukaku, on the other hand, was linked with a move to Juventus, which never came to fruition either.
The 30-year-old attacker eventually stayed in Serie A, reuniting with Jose Mourinho at AS Roma. As he returned to San Siro to take on his former club Inter in a Serie A clash on October 29, Lukaku was given a hostile reception by the black and blue fans.
Ausilio has now opened up on Lukaku's summer transfer saga, telling Radio Serie A (quotes via Daily Mail):
"I prefer not to talk about a player currently at another club, I have never done that in recent months. I say that I like to think about the present and the future, Lukaku is part of the past: with him, we won a Scudetto, lost two finals, and he brought us an important capital gain."
He added:
"What happened? I prefer not to talk about it. All I'm saying is that there has to be politeness and respect: things were obviously going on, but at a certain point these conditions came to an end."
Ausilio went on to say:
"There are deals that don't get done, but if there is respect it is never a problem. When, on the other hand, one hides or sends replies via other people, then one thinks about moving on. For me it is a close chapter since July 8, there are no regrets. The famous phone call to Lukaku? It was something decided, nothing special. I told Romelu what I thought, after I hadn't been able to contact him for a while."
How has Chelsea loanee Romelu Lukaku performed for AS Roma this season?
Romelu Lukaku, on loan from Premier League club Chelsea, has turned out to be a fruitful acquisition for AS Roma. The Belgian has been among the goals so far this campaign, netting eight times in 11 outings.
A reunion with Jose Mourinho has worked out for the player. Lukaku boasts an impressive career track record under the Portuguese tactician, scoring 41 goals and providing 11 assists in 87 appearances.
Roma, however, are ninth in the Serie A table with only 14 points on the board from 10 matches. They are 11 points adrift of league leaders Inter Milan, Lukaku's former club. The striker's Chelsea future, though, remains uncertain.