Romelu Lukaku almost broke down in tears after discovering that his loan move to Inter Milan from Chelsea was done, claims La Gazzetta dello Sport.
The Belgian striker has been pushing for a return to Inter since the end of a disappointing first season at Stamford Bridge.
The deal is yet to be officially announced, but there's almost no doubt left that Lukaku will be back at Inter Milan in a few days.
Lukaku will take a 35% pay cut on his £325,000-a-week wages at the Serie A club and is delighted to re-join them.
The forward even reportedly called up Inter boss Simone Inzaghi in April earlier this year and pleaded with him to get a deal done.
Chelsea received a loan fee of around €8m for the deal, but there are no options to buy in the deal, meaning Lukaku is due to be back at Stamford Bridge next season.
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'We took note of betrayal': Inter Milan fans react to Romelu Lukaku's impending return
Multiple reports have confirmed that Romelu Lukaku was pushing not only to leave Chelsea but specifically to join Inter Milan, the club he had spent the previous two seasons.
However, it does not look like he'll be especially welcome there.
"The Curva Nord supports Inter and will not make any objection to the player (despite last summer’s behaviour)," Inter Milan's fan group Curva Nord Milan.
"Given this, no one should go to welcome him with scarves or banners of the Curva or of the groups that it has.
"Everything that will be done for him in the future, he will have to earn it on the pitch with humility and sweat. He was supported (and treated) like a King, now he is like a lot of the others.
"Let us also be clear to everyone that we will never cheer against Lukaku if he wears the Inter shirt again.
"However, we invite all Inter fans not to fall into the opposite trap, that of running immediately and drooling about him.
"In addition to a clear instinctive emotional aspect, pretending that nothing has happened would only give a further acceleration to that process that has been going on for years - aimed at making us all stupid and supine consumers.
"We are not people who are at the mercy of the moves of players and clubs.
"We took note of Lukaku’s betrayal and we were very upset. To a footballer these things can be forgiven over time, but [for us] they will stay."
Lukaku's infamous interview to Sky Italia was mainly aimed at rebuilding bridges with the Inter fans but it backfired spectacularly.
The Italian fans put out a damning banner near the stadium, while the Chelsea supporters never felt the same way as they did when Lukaku made the switch last year. No, the majority of them will be happy to see the back of him.
'No excuses': Top journalist explains why Lukaku's departure puts pressure on Tuchel
Matt Law, a prominent journalist for Chelsea-related news, has listed a reason why Thomas Tuchel will be under more pressure after Lukaku's departure.
"As good as Thomas Tuchel has been, Lukaku's return to Inter absolutely puts pressure on him," wrote Law.
"He has to take some responsibility and he absolutely has to make sure Chelsea get the right man/men to replace him and make sure they perform. There can be no excuses on that front.
"With Marina Granovskaia following Bruce Buck out of the Chelsea exit, Tuchel has been afforded a bigger say on the club’s transfer business than most of his predecessors by new co-owner Todd Boehly."
