Romelu Lukaku left Manchester United under a cloud in 2019 with ESPN reporting the club reprimanded him for posting confidential player data on social media and The Athletic claiming he had been sent to train with the under-23s. He ended up training with former side Anderlecht instead before being sold to Inter Milan.
Lukaku to his credit went onto enjoy success at Inter Milan, but no United fans were fooled after seeing him score just 12 Premier League goals during his final season as a Red Devil.
United’s big mistake was not replacing Lukaku effectively, and having to listen to the media citing his Serie A goal record and suggesting he should never have gone.
A return to Chelsea has given greater perspective on Lukaku for all concerned. After making a £97 million move, Lukaku has netted five Premier League goals and generally underwhelmed with his overall play. He is not the ‘different’ striker Chelsea fans boasted they were getting.
Instead he looks remarkably close to the United version, rather than the Inter one, and now the Belgian is coming in for increased criticism after coming out publicly to criticise Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel, just months into returning and to pledge his desire to return to Inter Milan.
Chelsea fans unhappy with Lukaku comments, United supporters warned them…
Lukaku’s comments which were also reported by BBC Sport have gone down like a lead balloon at Chelsea, and they are particularly ill-timed considering he had actually been coming back into a bit of form in front of goal in recent matches.
For a player who told Uefa.com just two months ago that he could ‘do everything’, his decision to publicly criticise Tuchel’s tactics are odd, and somewhat petulant.
He had boasted: “I can do a bit of everything and in some games when I know there is a lot of space behind the defence, I play differently. The reason I’m so productive [in front of goal] is because I can do a bit of everything.”
Chelsea fans are not impressed with the striker, as seen by these comments on social media…
Lukaku’s spell at Inter Milan has looked a little less impressive in recent months too in the context that Edin Dzeko, 35, has replaced his goals with 11 already this campaign.
Seeing his situation at Chelsea unravel already comes as little surprise where Manchester United fans are concerned, with several taking to Twitter in response to the interview being publicised…
- Manchester United transfer target wins club’s player of the season
- Alejandro Garnacho hears the words he has been waiting for, it should be third time lucky
- Bruno Fernandes and Benni McCarthy react as goalkeeper leaves Manchester United
- Manchester United path to sign Moises Caicedo looks more difficult than ever
- Juventus set to make last-ditch attempt to keep Manchester United transfer target
- Donny van de Beek makes decision on his future, per Fabrizio Romano
- £35m Manchester United target advised to switch to La Liga instead
- 40 goal contributions: Manchester United star has performed beyond expectation
- Jack Butland sends message as he leaves Manchester United and Rangers move announced
- Bayern back out of Manchester United transfer battle as star ‘unaffordable’
- Report says Manchester United risk missing out Kane if club sell one player