Inter Milan to send struggling Lukaku back to Chelsea

Carlo Garganese

• Updated: 19 Feb 2023 18:10 GMT
• 3 min read

Inter Milan are looking increasingly likely to send Romelu Lukaku back to Chelsea at the end of the season, according to the Corriere dello Sport.

The Nerazzurri are reported to be unhappy with the on-loan forward’s form and fitness this season and their patience is growing thin.

Inter have not yet made a final decision on whether they wish to keep Lukaku into 2023-24 but they are increasingly edging towards sending back to Chelsea.

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Lukaku returned to Inter on a one-season loan this past summer from Chelsea, but has struggled horribly with his fitness and form.

He has played just 603 minutes of club football this season, starting seven games. He has scored only three goals this campaign.

When Lukaku has played, his performance level has been well short of what is expected.

He has often looked sluggish, his touch heavy and he has lacked the explosiveness and sharpness that characterised his first spell at San Siro.

He also went into the World Cup unfit, scoring no goals and missing a host of big chances in the 0-0 draw with Croatia which eliminated Belgium from the group stages.

Lukaku was often mocked about his shape and fitness during his two-year spell at Man Utd, but appeared to have put that all behind him during two brilliant years under Antonio Conte at Inter from 2019 to 2021.

Lukaku struggles since Chelsea move

The 29-year-old then rejoined Chelsea from Inter in a €115 million transfer in the summer of 2021.

However, he endured a disastrous season, scoring just eight goals and falling out publicly with manager Thomas Tuchel.

His fitness also started to decline and he missed more games for Chelsea in a six-week spell before Christmas 2021 than he did in his entire two-year first spell at Inter.

Lukaku hoped to reignite his career by returning to the team where he played the best club football of his career.

However, so far it has not worked out for the Belgian. And as he turns 30 in May and is on a big salary, Inter are very reluctant to extend his stay unless he improves significantly.