Walter Zenga looked to explain why Romelu Lukaku failed to replicate his Inter form at Chelsea last season.
The 29-year-old Belgian striker returned to the Nerazzurri on loan this summer, only a year after his €115m move to West London. Things did not go to plan for Lukaku, who only managed to net eight goals in 26 Premier League appearances. It soon became clear that Lukaku wasn’t the right fit for Chelsea, forcing them to accept a return to Inter this summer.
Speaking to Sky Sports Italia, Zenga examined Lukaku’s situation and looked to explain why he couldn’t show his best with Chelsea following the move from Inter.
“Lukaku with Antonio Conte did everything and more, then he went to London in a different system, with a coach who treated everyone the same and didn’t feel that trust.
“Football is full of people who didn’t perform well on one side and performed very well on the other because they had confidence.”
Lukaku’s 2022-23 season has already gotten off to a strong start with Inter, with the Belgian scoring a goal and providing an assist in the opening two matches. Despite the fact that his return to the Nerazzurri was on a dry loan deal, it’s hard to imagine him becoming a regular feature at Chelsea in the future.