Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte has given his opinion on Romelu Lukaku‘s struggles at Chelsea last season. He believes that the Belgian has rejoined Inter Milan to gain his confidence back and has no doubt that he will make his mark in the Premier League.
Lukaku and Conte spent two seasons together at Inter Milan prior to the striker’s club-record move to Stamford Bridge last summer. In his time, he scored 64 goals in 95 games for the club across competitions and helped the Nerazzurri win their first Scudetto in 11 years in the 2020-21 season.
Lukaku enjoyed an impressive start to his second spell with the Blues, netting three goals in his first three league games. However, he suffered a massive dip in form and ended the season with a disappointing tally of 15 goals in 44 appearances in all competitions.
The big Belgian rejoined Inter on a season-long loan deal this summer. Conte believes he has the potential to succeed at Chelsea but could require more time to make an impact. As seen in the Mirror, Conte said:
“For sure he has the potential to play in the Premier League. I remember very well when he started to play last season he played really well and you in the media said Lukaku is really strong. A lot of things can happen and the confidence drops. I know for sure he is a bit disappointing with his impact, because he wanted to have another impact in England,”
“But he has time. Now it’s right for him to play for an important club in Italy to try to get again confidence in himself. But we are talking about a really important, a really good striker. Romelu lived two years in Milan and he was the king. The fans showed him a lot of passion and I think he’s a guy who needs this.”
“For this reason, I think he wanted to come back in Milan, but for sure, the signing was a good signing for Chelsea. There are players that need more time to make an impact.”
Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel’s tactics could be the main reason behind Romelu Lukaku’s struggles
Lukaku made the move to Chelsea last summer after conquering Serie A, which is widely considered one of the most tactical and defense-oriented leagues in Europe. However, the Belgian seemed like a fish out of water at Stamford Bridge last season.
The 29-year-old struggled to adapt to Thomas Tuchel’s tactics. He was often isolated during games against some of the Premier League’s top clubs and lacked adequate service, as did a number of other Blues forwards.
Lukaku’s fractured relationship with Tuchel and the German’s defensive tactics were seen as the main reasons behind his decision to rejoin Inter after just one season with the Blues.