Inter director Piero Ausilio accused Romelu Lukaku of not showing ‘good manners or respect’ during the negotiations with Chelsea, Juventus and then Roma, but ‘it turned out better for us.’
The striker had been sold to Chelsea and almost immediately realised his mistake, returning on loan a year later.
Just as the Nerazzurri were trying to work out a deal to make his comeback to San Siro permanent, it emerged Lukaku’s agents were in talks with rivals Juve and the player went AWOL.
“I would prefer not to talk about it, but I’ll just say that in every situation there have to be good manners and respect,” chief sport officer Ausilio said in a Lega Serie A documentary on the Scudetto triumph called Intergalactic.
“Do you know how many negotiations fall apart, with how many players? But if there is the desire to at least say things to your face, look each other in the eyes with respect, that can never be a problem.
“However, when someone switches off their phone, hides, doesn’t answer calls, gives half-answers via other people, then you think it’s time to turn over a new leaf instead.
“As far as I am concerned, the matter is closed since July 8, and I remember the date perfectly well. There is no problem, no regret and frankly it turned out better for us with what came later.”
Lukaku snub led Inter to Thuram
Missing out on Lukaku made Inter turn towards Marcus Thuram instead, who arrived as a free agent and immediately formed a strong partnership with Lautaro Martinez.
As for Lukaku, the talks with Juventus faltered and in the final days of the transfer market, he joined Roma on loan from Chelsea instead.
“The first time we spoke about Thuram was after Lukaku’s sale to Chelsea. He played as a winger at Borussia Monchengladbach and I don’t think he realised he could be a striker,” continued Ausilio.
“He got an injury and was out for a few months, so we had to change target, but those meetings laid the foundations. His father Lilian always tells me I was the first to recognise he could play as a centre-forward.
“He hasn’t forgotten and neither did Marcus, who remembered the plans we had for him. So we took that advantage and signed him.”
Thuram had been on the verge of signing for their rivals Milan when Inter came back in for the France international.