Romelu Lukaku wants to 'find a solution with Chelsea' to let him stay with Inter Milan

Speaking to Sky Sports Italia,

explained how he feels ahead of the second half of the season.

“I’m very good. I did a great job with the coach and the trainers. The team is doing well, we have a lot of desire and I do too. We have to keep working and prepare well for the game against Napoli and for the rest of the season.

“There is a lot of satisfaction, I’m really happy to be back here. But I don’t want to talk so much, I want to do the facts. I’m working hard with the trainers and with teammates and coach. Now I have to respond on the pitch.”

Lukaku also revealed how his loan transfer from

 to

 happened last summer.

“A few days after the Nations League game against the Netherlands, I talked to the new owner of Chelsea, it was a very good chat in which I told him the whole truth, my version of what had happened and my relationship with Tuchel at that moment.

“Then I decided to go back to Inter, I had the opportunity and he opened the door for me. I started talking to the team and from that moment things went really fast. For two weeks we talked intensively then I left all the final details to my agent.

“I was tired, I left straight from vacation and when I landed, I was really tired. But happy and satisfied.

“I was nervous. I want to do everything to help this team. As I’ve always said, Inter gave me an opportunity I needed in my career. Now we are back together, and we want to do good.”

The Belgian striker was asked about his relationship with Jay-Z.

“This photo was taken after we won the Scudetto, Jay-Z was the first person who called me after Atalanta–Sassuolo. I was in shock…

“We spent time together in New York and then he also pushed me to come back to Inter. He is a person who follows football a lot, he always follows Inter. He is really a nice person.”

Lukaku also said that Inter’s dressing room still is united and competitive just like when he decided to join Chelsea.

“Nothing changed, in fact it’s even worse…. All my teammates are always ready to attack me because they know that when they attack me, I react and go to 2000. It has always been like that.

“The squad is always competitive, however, it is all done in friendship and that is why it is beautiful. It is unique in football. We grew up together, we won together. This is a good thing.”

Lukaku remembered his first goal back against Lecce.

“And one, now immediately the second! It was a good moment, as was winning. I remember Denzel’s winning goal in the 95th minute, how we all cheered together.

“Mine was the first goal of the season, but Denzel’s was important to win. For that we all went to cheer. It was nice. You can see there that the team is united.”

The 29-year-old striker also said that returning to San Siro was the most emotional moment of his season.

“Since I came back, yes. That moment there. But also, when I got into the Champions League with Plzen, because my son Romeo was in the stadium. He’s four years old and he’s starting to understand football and he saw dad scoring goals.

“He is a big Inter fan, really crazy. Because it is the only thing he has known from when he was nine months old to now. And to see him after the game looking at me with those eyes … it was the most beautiful moment because he saw the love of the fans.

“The fans showed me so much love before that match with Spezia and also in that moment. I thank them.”

Lukaku discussed his relationship with Inter fans since his return.

“The Inter fans are really special, for me they are the best in the world. Because even if we are in trouble, they are always there to help the team. For me it was a surprise, I thought they were angry with me. But in the end they know that I have always had Inter in my heart.

“Even though I left they know that I always had Inter in my heart. I had conversations with teammates, with people from the club, and they know that I told the truth about why I left.

“Now I am back, and I hope to stay in the future. I want to say that Inter is worth everything to me.”

He also explained his apologetic celebration to the Nerazzurri fans after his return.

“As I said Inter fans have always been in my heart. Inter gave me the opportunity to be the Romelu Lukaku I am today. Before, I used to score a lot of goals, but something was always missing in the end.

“Inter gave me the opportunity to win at a high level, gave me the love of the fans, the club, my teammates, the coach with his staff. That is why they remain in my heart. But the story is not over yet. We have to do and work harder and hopefully bring more trophies to this team.”

The former Chelsea striker went on to discuss his recent serious injury.

“It was a really serious injury. the flexor tendon was ruptured. Normally I recover quickly from injuries, but this time I had a feeling that things were not going well. It was the first time in 13 years that I missed so many games. If you come to my house it looks like a hospital….

“I have everything to recover as fast as I can, but this time I couldn’t. I went to the World Cup and played the last game, I had just two sessions in my legs in the last four months.

“Against Croatia it was a big disappointment, but I said to myself, Romelu, you were not 100%, you had barely done two training sessions….

“Now take off, rest five days and we start from scratch. I went to Dubai with the national team trainer and now I’m ready. They rightly slaughtered me but now I am so eager to find the pitch again. From now let’s talk on the pitch!”

Lukaku also talked about the World Cup and the future of the Belgian national team.

“For me Henry will be the next coach of Belgium. There is no doubt about it. I’ll say it openly: he will be the next coach. He has the respect of all the players, he has won everything. He knows coaching, he knows what we have to do to get there. He knows the team, the league, the staff.

“For me he is the ideal coach for our national team. Then I don’t know who they will get. But I don’t think Belgium has to start from scratch. So far, this generation has not won but we have to keep trying to win.

“He wants to win, and I don’t think the federation goes and gets a coach who wants to change everything and start from scratch. For me it’s not worth it.”

The Belgian forward spoke about his relationship with Simone Inzaghi.

“Good because he knows how to stimulate the players. He knows how to find bring out the lion in me. Every now and then when there is an opportunity, he says, ‘I would throw it in.’ And I look at him and say, ‘ah okay, look now.’

“He provokes me, yes. And there’s always a reaction. And for me that’s a good thing. We have a good relationship between coach and player. He knows that I really respect him. As I told him, my brother had him many years at Lazio and he always got along well.

“Last year we talked to each other a lot. But it applies to the whole team, there is not only the relationship between Romelu and the coach.

“There is the one between Inzaghi and all the players. We want to do well for this club and for the fans. We want to do things well in the next six months and we are working for that.”

Lukaku said he still believes that Inter can win the Serie A this season.

“Until a team has lifted the trophy in football anything is possible… Always. That’s why we play football, you have to believe in the impossible. People say it’s impossible for us, well let’s see at the end of the season the team that lifts the trophy.

“Now no one has lifted it yet, we are there. There are still six months to go. Season ends on June 6. Guys, it’s not January 4 yet!”

Lukaku was asked about leaguer leaders Napoli and the upcoming match between Inter and Napoli.

“The coach is really strong. Spalletti has done a great job, we have to say that. They have really strong players, I have been out and I have seen a lot of their games.

“Napoli is in a good moment. Osimhen scores a lot of goals, Zielinski is doing well, Kvara on the left, Lozano or Politano on the right.”

Lukaku said Victor Osimhen has been the best striker in the Serie A this season.

“Osimhen is really strong. Right now, he is the best striker. We have to be honest. He is strong and he is doing really well for Napoli. They are first in the table. We have respect, but not fear.”

The 29-year-old believes beating Barcelona in the Champions League was the turning point for Inter this season.

“I think so. You could see that everyone had this desire to do well for themselves but also for Inter. We are at Inter, we are here to win. There is no excuse. We must not say we are not training well. We have to do things for the team, give our best every day.

“If you have to run more for your teammates, we have to do it. We showed it with Barcelona that we are more of a team. Now everyone is thinking for the team. We have to continue like this. In the end when we won two years ago, we did it because everyone was running.

“Football is like that. We saw it at the World Cup. Football has become transitional. So many teams play on the counterattack, even Argentina, France. Now we have trained on many different forms to play and we are ready for any situation.”

The Belgian hopes winning the World Cup helps Lautaro Martinez to do well in the second part of the season.

“Yes, I saw him and hugged him. I messaged him right after the World Cup and he wrote to me back. I’m really happy that he won the World Cup. Every player wants to try to win it.

“In the end he did it and I hope it gives him more energy to do well with us. Now he has new energy and I think in the second half of the season he will do great things.”

The former Manchester United striker also talked about his relationship with Edin Dzeko.

“I have always had a very good relationship with Edin. Maybe people don’t know. When we were in the Premier League we always talked after games, even when he was at Roma and I was in my first year here. When I signed for Inter Edin he was supposed to come too.

“Then he didn’t come but we always have that mutual respect. Then now when we work on the pitch, we have completely different characteristics, but we can help each other. Edin likes to play more and drop deep, it gives me the opportunity to attack the space more.

“Then when we get to the area, we can both help or turn one for the other. I think I can play with anyone, even him and also Lautaro. Then it depends on the coach to choose.

“We can also play all three together with Lautaro trequartista and me and Edin up front. And there is also Correa. We are fine physically, now we have to make the best of Inter.”

Lukaku explained the reason behind his goal celebration with Federico Dimarco.

“People should know that Fede was the first player to help me in the locker room at Inter. The first friend when I arrived here. He taught me so many things about Inter. In the beginning he spoke a little French, I understood Italian, but speaking was difficult. He helped me with Italian.

“And when he went to Verona the relationship remained. Now we are ‘Playstation mates’ and every night we play together. In FIFA I am stronger but we play something called Pro Clubs where we have our friends and each one is one player and we have a team and we play against other teams.

“Yesterday we didn’t play because we were tired but today if you guys are online on Pro Clubs we are!”

Lukaku was asked about his relationship with Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

“I answer the same, I am not one who wants to see great players out that long. There is always respect for what he has done in his career. He has won so much.

“He won for Inter and now for that team there. But I think people want to see these games, two players who want to win for their team. I hope he comes back as soon as possible. Then we’ll see on the pitch what happens.”

Coming close to the end of his interview, Lukaku insisted that he wants to stay at Inter beyond this season.

“All the people know what I want. Now I have to do whatever is necessary with the team to make Inter win and then we’ll talk to Chelsea.

“Yes. The idea is to finish with Anderlecht. I’m 30 years old, my son started school here and plays in the Inter Academy. I’m fine, Inter always has ambition to keep growing.

“I want to stay here and do things right. I hope to do well with Inter in the next six months, work to the maximum and then at the end we talk to Chelsea and hope to find a solution.”

At the end of the interview, Lukaku sent a message to the fans.

“Hello everyone. I hope we will have a good six months. Thank you for the love. I know the first six months were difficult, but now we go all the way to the end. I hope you had a good holiday and always — peace and love. Forza Inter!”

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