Chelsea’s hierarchy told Romelu Lukaku there was a place for him in their squad if he stayed at the club this season.
That is according to a report from TEAMtalk.
Romelu Lukaku, 30, returned to Stamford Bridge this summer after his loan spell at Inter Milan ended.
However, the Belgian striker didn’t join up with the rest of Mauricio Pochettino’s Blues squad as he searched for a transfer exit.
Eventually, he joined Italian club Roma on a season-long loan during the final days of the summer transfer window.
TEAMtalk claims that Chelsea’s hierarchy made it clear to Lukaku he could be reintegrated to the Blues squad if he stayed at the club beyond the transfer window.
It is understood that the centre-forward rejected the chance to stay and fight for his Chelsea position, though.
The report explains that the player thought a return to Italian football was the sensible choice.
Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino was open to working with Lukaku this campaign, but didn’t want to interrupt the player’s strong wishes to move away from west London again.
Lukaku recently said one phone call was all it took to convince him to join Roma for this season, as quoted by RomaPress.
There’s too much history for the Belgium international to make a stunning return at Chelsea, so it’s best for all parties his situation was resolved with a move to Rome.
Unfortunately, he’s still under contract with the Blues until 2026, so this saga will crop up again in a year’s time.
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