Romelu Lukaku pushed for an Inter return in the summer but after six months the Belgian everyone remembers is still yet to be seen, details Apollo Heyes.
The Belgian striker was a star during his first two-year spell with the Nerazzurri, scoring 64 goals in 95 appearances to help the team win their first Scudetto in a decade back in the 2020-21 season. That summer, he made a return to Chelsea for around €113m, keen to show his best in the Premier League after re-discovering his magic in Italy.
Unfortunately for Lukaku, things did not work out with Chelsea and he netted just eight Premier League goals in 26 appearances. His time in West London was partly derailed by an interesting interview he gave to Sky Sports Italia only a few months into his time at the club, where he expressed his love for the Nerazzurri and desire to return one day.
Lukaku was desperate to come back to Inter in the summer of 2022 and got his wish, returning on an €8m dry loan deal. The Nerazzurri hoped he’d be the difference maker in a title race and the Belgian hoped he’d again uncover his magic following a tough year.
Again things have not gone to plan for Lukaku, whose return has been blighted by various injuries, limiting his chances on the pitch. The 29-year-old has only played 348 minutes of Serie A action this campaign and has again been sidelined with a muscle issue, causing further concern for the Nerazzurri.
The underlying numbers clearly show Lukaku’s insufficiencies this season. In the 2020-21 campaign, he scored 24 goals across 36 league appearances, averaging 80 minutes of play per match. In that time, he averaged 1.33 shots on target per 90 minutes and created 1.44 chances per 90, being a focal point of the team’s attack.
This season, Lukaku has scored just one goal across six league appearances, averaging 58 minutes of play per game. Across that time, he’s only averaged 0.50 shots on target per 90 and 0.50 chances created, looking a shadow of his former self.
Whilst Lukaku has been plagued by injuries this campaign, some have suggested that his on-pitch misery may also be tied to the absence of Antonio Conte in the dugout. The Belgian formed a strong relationship with the Italian coach, something that didn’t go unnoticed by Thomas Tuchel during their time together at Chelsea, and he looked to be a superstar under the former Juventus boss.
With Inzaghi on the touchline, Lukaku has failed to replicate his magic and it’s starting to look as if the 29-year-old simply missed Conte instead of Inter. The striker still has time to turn things around this campaign, but the clock is ticking and there’s no guarantees that he’ll have another chance next season.
Lukaku badly misses Pintus – the best fitness coach in the world now at Real Madrid (you can observe their results in the past few years).