Thomas Tuchel is not happy with Romelu Lukaku following his recent interview expressing his desire to return to Inter one day.
The 28-year-old Belgian striker told Sky Sports recently that he was “not happy with the situation” following his €115m move from the Nerazzurri in the summer, with the ambiguity of his statements leaving things open to interpretation.
Speaking to gathered reporters in a press conference ahead of Chelsea’s match against Liverpool, Tuchel discussed Lukaku and his recent interview, expressing his own unhappiness.
“We don’t like it of course. It brings noise that we don’t need and it’s not helpful. We don’t want to make more out of it than it actually is. It is easy to take lines out of context, shorten lines, make headlines and then realise later that it is not so bad.”
Commenting on whether the player should have discussed these issues internally, he noted that “if there is something then it is behind closed doors, for sure.”
Tuchel remained calm when speaking about if Lukaku wants to return to Inter already.
“Like I said, this is what you read into it. It is very easy, in general, to take lines out of context and make headlines to get the focus. I totally understand the process and that is why it is a lot of noise, not a little noise.
“But still, we are not here to read the headlines. We can take the time to try and understand what is going on because it does not reflect the daily work, attitude and behaviour which Romelu shows here at Cobham.”
The German coach was unimpressed with the nature of Lukaku’s comments to the media, suggesting that he should have known better.
“If you are such a big player like Romelu, it is always in the public. He should know what kind of value he has when he speaks out with messages like this. Everything is easier when we win.
“The dressing room might not always be in harmony. Sometimes it is good to be on the edge, in disharmony. With Romelu, I don’t think that anybody in this building is unaware that he is unhappy. I can see no reason why he should be like this. That’s all I can say.”
The 28-year-old Lukaku, who is contracted to Chelsea until 2026, has scored five goals in 13 Premier League appearances so far this season.
Thomas Tuchel has made his feelings around Romelu Lukaku's interview clearhttps://t.co/UqrxRgW8WW
— football.london (@Football_LDN) December 31, 2021
These players will never learn, if you are happy , winning and well paid where you are, then stay there.