Boyhood Chelsea affinity
"The day I play in this stadium, that will be the only time in my life you will ever see me cry. I'm going to succeed. I’m not dreaming. I’m going to play here someday I’m sure."
These are the words a 17-year-old Romelu Lukaku siad during his first visit to Stamford Bridge back in 2010. One year later, it was mission accomplished.
"I dreamed to play here since I was 10 years old. It was just what I was searching for," he said at his unveiling as a Chelsea player.
"I used to watch Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink scoring goals and remember one against Manchester United, the volley at Old Trafford, and I decided I wanted to support this team."
And now, the big man is back - he's going to live his dream all over again.
Special link with Drogba
Didier Drogba was one of the biggest reasons why Lukaku remains a Chelsea fan: the two strikers trained together for a year and have been in touch ever since.
"I text him, I phone him whenever I need him. He knows what to say and what not to say. That's what I like about him," Lukaku said during his Everton spell.
"Didier is my idol and he knows it but I am Romelu Lukaku and I am proud of my family name and I want to make my own story."
Former teammates also spoke about Drogba being a 'father figure' for Lukaku during their spell at Chelsea. Now, Romelu is experienced enough to be able to play a similar role to the current youngsters.
Failed Chelsea move in 2017
"I was gone, I was going to Chelsea," Romelu told the LightHarted podcast in 2019. "I was looking for an apartment, an apartment for my mum to stay in close to the practice facility, so I don't have to drive too far. And then Man U came."
It's now well known that Chelsea baulked at the demands of Lukaku's then-agent Mino Raiola. Man United had a good relationship with the super-agent at the time, so they had no such issues.
With Lukaku gone to Man United, Chelsea went for Alvaro Morata as a replacement for Diego Costa. Both strikers switched clubs again within two years.
However, the Red Devils weren't even trying for the striker this time and the moment Chelsea knocked on Inter's door, you knew there was only going to be one result - Rom back at Stamford Bridge.
Record transfer value
Lukaku's move to Man United in 2017 was worth almost €85m which was a record sum for a Belgian player at the time (later beaten by Eden Hazard's move to Real Madrid).
Now, the Blues have paid €115m for his sale, making it a record in the Serie A and the biggest British transfer yet.
This transfer now makes Lukaku the expensive footballer ever in terms of accumulated transfer fees at €323m.
Outstanding record at Inter
Since joining Inter Milan in 2019, Lukaku has been in the form of his life: in two Serie A campaigns, the 28-year-old scored 23 and 24 goals respectively.
In the last season, he also evolved as a chance creator, providing 10 assists for his teammates, mainly Lautaro Martinez.
Chelsea are getting an accomplished goalscorer as well as a decent playmaker in their ranks now.
