Romelu Lukaku will return to Italy after Chelsea agreed to a season-long loan agreement with AS Roma.
Following a loan stint at Inter Milan last season, Belgium’s captain and record goalscorer will play in Serie A for the second straight season.
“Lukaku has completed a season-long loan move to Serie A club AS Roma,” Chelsea said in a statement.
“The Belgian international, who will join Chelsea in the summer of 2021, spent last season on loan at Inter Milan.”
“Lukaku will team up in Rome with former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, who led Roma to the Europa League final last season.”
Last season, Lukaku scored 14 goals in 37 games for Inter, helping the club reach the Champions League final, where they were barely beaten by Manchester City.
Despite the long-term injuries sustained by the Blues’ star offensive recruit Christopher Nkunku, the Belgian was not included in new Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino’s plans upon his return to London.
Jose Mourinho has signed Lukaku for the second time, having done so with Manchester United in 2017.
Mourinho told The Times last year that he understands how to get the most out of him.
“At Inter, he became the top man,” he said. He was liked – a lot of love from the fans, a lot of love from his teammates, and a lot of love from the coach. He’s a large person, physically powerful, but there’s a youngster within who needs that love, that support, that feeling of importance.”
Lukaku will join Roma for the eighth time. He started his career at Anderlecht as a youth before moving on to Chelsea.
Before joining Manchester United for £90 million, he had loan stints at West Brom and Everton, the latter of which became a permanent deal.
Despite a great debut season, Lukaku fell out of favour and was moved to Inter Milan in 2019 for €80 million (£74 million). The Belgian thrived in Italy until being transferred to former club Chelsea in 2021, when the Italian giant’s finances were in turmoil.
Lukaku has over 350 goals in his career, including a career-high 75 for Belgium, but has struggled with health and consistency in recent seasons.
As the eighth first-team addition of the summer, he joins Mourinho’s Roma project.
Prior to the arrival of Lukaku, Roma signed free transfers for Frankfurt defender Evan Ndicka and Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar, Leeds full-back Rasmus Kristensen, Bayer Leverkusen forward Sardar Azmoun, and Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Renato Sanches, as well as veteran midfielder Leandro Paredes from PSG for €2.5 million (£2.2 million).
Lukaku joins former Chelsea teammate Tammy Abraham, Argentina star Paulo Dybala, and perennial Premier League transfer target Andrea Belotti in a congested front line.
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