Romelu Lukaku: Chelsea forward seals Inter Milan return with loan deal complete

Romelu Lukaku has sealed a return to Inter Milan, joining the Serie A giants on a season-long loan deal.

A key figure in Antonio Conte’s side as the Nerazzurri ended an 11-year wait to reach the summit of the Italian game once more, the Belgian international endured a difficult second stint at Chelsea following a £97.5m move last summer.

In and out of the side under Thomas Tuchel, Lukaku expressed his desire to one day re-join Inter during a controversial interview granted to Italian media in December, declaring there was a “hope in the depths of my heart to return”.

The Italian side are believed to be paying a loan fee of around £7m.

On Wednesday evening, Inter announced the deal with Lukaku saying he was “back, baby” in a video filmed by club president Steven Zhang atop Inter HQ.

Chelsea are looking to replace the Belgian with a number of signings, with Raheem Sterling and Raphinha of Manchester City and Leeds United respectively leading targets this summer.

A Blues statement read: “Romelu Lukaku will spend the 2022/23 campaign with Inter Milan after completing a season-long loan move from Chelsea.”