Lukaku isn’t Inter’s most important player, claims former club president

Stefan Bienkowski

• Updated: 19 May 2021 15:43 BST
• 2 min read

Former Inter president Massimo Moratti has suggested that star striker Romelu Lukaku wasn’t the most important player in the club’s Serie A title win. 

The former Manchester United and Chelsea striker has defied critics this season, with 21 goals and nine assists in 33 league games for Inter.

As such, many have suggested that the Belgium international’s goals were crucial to Antonio Conte’s team winning the club’s first league title since 2010. 

However, the former Inter president has suggested that while Lukaku was an important member of the team, he wasn’t the key figure in halting Juventus’ march to another league title. 

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“Lukaku and Lautaro [Martinez] are two exceptional players and Lukaku is the emblem of this victory, because in addition to scoring goals he also lightens the team’s work,” admitted Moratti in an interview with Sky Sports Italia. 

“But for me, [Nicolo] Barella was the player who most embodied the character of Inter, the character that was necessary to win. I think that Barella has had a special championship, then there are all the others. 

“There is [Achraf] Hakimi who was a surprise, even though he was known to be strong. The defence was solid and [Samir] Handanovic, who has made a few mistakes in the last few games, saved us with many spectacular saves in the first part of the championship. 

“In short, there are no weak points.”

Could Lukaku be heading back to the Premier League? 

Off the back of a tremendous campaign with Inter, it seems as though Lukaku has not only won over a few doubters but perhaps convinced some clubs in England that he’d solve a number of problems for them next season. 

According to Matt Law at the Daily Telegraph, the Belgian striker is one of Chelsea’s main transfer targets next season, as the Stamford Bridge side look to tempt the striker back to London. 

However, with a contract at Inter until 2024, Chelsea would likely have to offer a remarkable amount of money to convince the Italian club to let go of their star striker. 

Despite what Moratti may suggest, Lukaku is probably Inter’s most cherished player at this moment in time and wouldn’t come cheap.