The Napoli striker will face his former club Chelsea in the Champions League on Wednesday
Abbie Meehan Sports Writer U-35s
10:00, 28 Jan 2026
Romelu Lukaku of Chelsea reacts during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Chelsea at Emirates Stadium on August 22, 2021 in London, England.
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Romelu Lukaku regrets one transfer deeply(Image: Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Romelu Lukaku confessed he regretted his 2021 return to Chelsea and should've never left Italy.
The veteran striker is now set to face the Blues with Napoli in Wednesday's Champions League clash. The 32-year-old will probably need to bide his time on the bench after an extended absence due to a thigh injury.
He will still be reunited with the Premier League side where he had two separate spells, one of which he deeply regrets. Lukaku moved to Inter Milan in 2019 following a troubled period at Manchester United and went on to claim the Serie A title, Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italia across two campaigns.
After this success in Italy, Chelsea tabled an £85million offer and Lukaku instructed his club to accept the Blues' proposal. The Italians eventually agreed to a then-record £97.5million fee, bringing Lukaku back to England for his second spell at Stamford Bridge.
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Yet things didn't unfold as he would've hoped, with the striker acknowledging his embarrassment over how he departed Inter. Lukaku said: "I don't think any of it should have happened the way it did. The way I left Inter and the way I communicated with the Inter fans.
"I'm annoyed about that because it's not the right time now but it wasn't the right time when I left either. I always said that I love Inter and I'll play for them again. I really hope so. I fell in love with Italy.
"Now is the right time to talk about it and tell people what really happened, without saying anything bad about anyone, because I'm not like that.
Romelu Lukaku of Chelsea during his unveiling as a Chelsea player at Chelsea Training Ground on August 16, 2021 in Cobham, England.
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The then-record-breaking transfer was a "mistake" according to Lukaku(Image: Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
"I want to really apologise to the Inter fans because I don't think I should have left Inter the way I did. I should have spoken to you guys first, especially after everything you did for me, for my family, my mum, my son. I'll never forget that.
"I hope from the bottom of my heart to go back to Inter and not at the end of my career but when I'm still at a good enough level to win more trophies."
Shortly following this admission, Lukaku rejoined Inter on a temporary deal for the 2022/23 campaign. At an event unveiling the club's strip for the upcoming season, the forward emphasised once more that his original departure had been an "mistake."
Lukaku said: "The biggest challenge of my career will be this season here. I left. It was a mistake.
Romelu Lukaku of FC Internazionale celebrates his goal during the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and US Lecce at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on August 26, 2019 in Milan, Italy.
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The striker vowed to return to Italy(Image: Emilio Andreoli/Getty Images)
"Now I am happy to be wearing this jersey, the team knows what we need to do, it'll be a great challenge this season and we need to continue like this.
"I realised last season when I was in England, just how important Inter are in the world. The club's profile is improving on an international scale, the social media approach is really important too and you can see how we act in the locker room, in training, our hugs and jokes.
"Milan is a wonderful city and that is why I kept the old apartment when I went to London, because my mother was coming here all the time and I wanted to return too."
Now Lukaku is playing for reigning Serie A champions Napoli, and is set to face his former side in a crucial Champions League encounter this week.
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