Romelu Lukaku tells old Inter team-mate Lautaro Martinez: ‘DON’T come to Chelsea, I’ll be back in Milan’, as his full interview on being ‘unhappy’ after a £98m move is released, piling on more problems
- Romelu Lukaku insists he’ll work with Thomas Tuchel to iron out Chelsea issues
- The Belgium international has upset his head coach after an interview in Italy
- Tuchel said the piece on Sky Sports Italia was ‘not helpful’ to himself or the team
- Despite the rift, it is understood there is ‘zero chance’ of him leaving in January
Romelu Lukaku insists that he is willing to work with Thomas Tuchel in order to resolve his current issues at Chelsea.
Lukaku delivered a bombshell interview with Sky Sports Italia in which he stated that he was ‘not happy’ with his situation at Stamford Bridge after just four months at the club.
He also insisted that he is planning a return to Inter Milan after leaving the Serie A champions in a £98million deal in the summer.
Romelu Lukaku says he is willing to work with Thomas Tuchel to resolve his issues at Chelsea
Chelsea boss Tuchel was less than impressed by Lukaku’s bombshell interview on Italian TV
Tuchel cut a less than impressed character on Friday morning when he spoke to the press ahead of Chelsea’s clash with Liverpool on January 2.
He told reporters that the striker had upset the ‘calm and focus’ in dressing room with his comments, and insisted that he did not like the interview, describing it as ‘not helpful’.
However, Sky Italia have now released the full interview, and in it Lukaku appears to have qualified his initial comments, suggesting that he does see a future for himself in west London.
Chelsea’s £98million summer signing had said he is ‘not happy with the situation’ at Chelsea
‘Tuchel and I are trying to find a tactical system where we can “find” each other – a way to help the team because the situation [PL table] is a bit complicated,’ he is reported as saying in the full interview, as tweeted by journalist Fabrizio Romano.
‘He made his choice – I keep working, at a certain point I’ll speak with Tuchel and we will see the situation.’
The impact of the extraordinary interview has been severe for Chelsea, with the story dominating Friday’s press conference.
Despite the apparent breakdown between player and head coach, it does not appear that it will lead to an imminent parting of ways.
According to the Telegraph, the striker has no intention of leaving Stamford Bridge next month despite claiming he is unhappy there. Sources close to the player told the publication that there was ‘zero chance’ of him moving away.
Tuchel said on Friday morning that the Belgium international had upset the ‘calm’ at the club
It is clear though that Lukaku will have many bridges to mend to get back on good terms with Tuchel.
Lukaku has struggled for goals and games on his return to Stamford Bridge, starting just eight Premier League matches and scoring just five times in 13 appearances in the competition.
He has two spells out – one with a hamstring strain and the other due to coronavirus – but has struggled to impose himself as an integral part of the starting XI.
When asked about the interview in his press conference, the German technician said: ‘We don’t like it of course. It brings noise that we don’t need and it’s not helpful.
‘We don’t want to make more out of it than it actually is. It is easy to take lines out of context, shorten lines, make headlines and then realise later that it is not so bad and maybe not what he meant.
‘We don’t like it, I don’t like it because it’s noise that we don’t need. We need a calm environment and focus and this does not help.’