Chelsea have confirmed the signing of Romelu Lukaku from Internazionale on a contract to 2026. They have paid a club record €115m (£97.5m) for the striker, who returns to Stamford Bridge 10 years after joining from Anderlecht.
Lukaku made only 15 appearances for Chelsea before being sold to Everton in 2014 and has not scored for the club, spending much of his first spell on loan. He comes back as a player Thomas Tuchel regards as central to his hopes of winning the Premier League and retaining the Champions League. His net salary will be €12m (£10.2m) a year before bonuses.
Chelsea were hampered last season by their lack of a prolific forward – the midfielder Jorginho was the leading scorer in the league with seven goals – and the manager believes Lukaku can solve that problem. The Belgian got 47 Serie A goals in 72 games across his two seasons at Inter and 64 goals in 95 appearances in all competitions.
Chelsea moved for Lukaku after concluding that targets such as Erling Haaland and Harry Kane were out of reach, and are encouraged by the 28-year-old’s familiarity with the Premier League. He played in England’s top division for Chelsea, West Brom, Everton and Manchester United before leaving to join Inter.
Lukaku sealed the move after flying to London on Wednesday night, when the squad were in Belfast for the Super Cup, which they won on penalties against Villarreal. – Guardian
