Romelu Lukaku has burnt his bridges at Inter Milan (Photo: Getty)
Simone Inzaghi says he is ‘disappointed’ that Romelu Lukaku turned down the chance to re-join Inter Milan from Chelsea.
Lukaku was brought back to Stamford Bridge from the San Siro in 2021 for a then club-record fee, but after a disastrous season on and off the pitch, the striker returned to his beloved Inter on loan.
His return to Italy was a mixed bag overall, but there was plenty of enthusiasm from both the player and club for the move to be made permanent this summer.
However, after Inter had two bids rejected they pulled the plug on the transfer, and have been left incensed after discovering that Lukaku is now pushing to join fierce rivals Juventus and has reportedly agreed personal terms.
That move appears to be unlikely now, with the two clubs unable to agree on a fee, and Chelsea are not interesting in a player swap involving Dusan Vlahovic.
They aren’t the only ones unhappy with the Belgian international, with Inter bossInzaghi expressing his regret that he won’t be reunited with the 30-year-old.
Simone Inzaghi was keen to bring Lukaku back to Inter initially (Photo: Getty)
‘I thank Lukaku for what he gave us last season. I wanted him here and would have liked that to continue, but he made a different decision,’ Inzaghi told reporters as quoted by Reuters.
‘It’s disappointing how it ended because he had been given a warm welcome by the Inter family.’
Inter have signed a new forward this summer in the form of Marcus Thuram, but their squad is looking very different from the one that reached the Champions League final just a few months ago, having lost many high profile stars including Andre Onana to Manchester United.
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Inzaghi added: ‘The transfer window is complicated for almost everyone. We have lost some of the best players in their roles in Italy, but brought in those with bright prospects who can help us out.
‘I don’t like talking about favourites. I would like to win, the fans deserve it and our objective is to win trophies.’
Inter kick-off their Serie A campaign on Saturday against Monza.
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‘I wanted him here.’