Chelsea fans are very rarely collectively pretty pleased when a player leaves their club, however this was the case when a permanent deal was finally reached to sell Romelu Lukaku.
The Belgian striker had enjoyed loan spells at Inter Milan and Roma whilst still being paid very well by Chelsea, after a then Premier League record deal turned into a nightmare for all parties.
Lukaku hated comparisons to Didier Drogba, with it quite easy at times for supporters to hope that anyone who comes in can have the same impact as the club legend did at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea finally moved the striker on last summer, with Antonio Conte pushing for Lukaku to join Napoli due to their very effective time together at Inter.
Photo by Image Photo Agency/Getty Images
Photo by Image Photo Agency/Getty Images
Romelu Lukaku thinks Chelsea fans misunderstood him
After a lot of excitement surrounded his return to Stamford Bridge, Lukaku proved to not live up to the price tag, with him proving unpopular with the fanbase after various interviews he gave in his first season back.
Never been shy to back himself in the face of criticism, it seems the Belgium international disagreed with the majority of comments made about him.
He said in an interview with Corriere Dello Sport that he believes English football fans did not understand or appreaicte his game, with him now being seen very differently by his new fans in Italy.
He said: “In England they had the wrong perception. For them I was lazy, lazy. And I never reacted to attacks, to criticism. I speak very little, I let things happen. I’m someone who does his job and then goes home to his children. In Italy the judgment has turned 180 degrees. I am a worker.”
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Lukaku last played for Chelsea in 2022, when Thomas Tuchel was in charge and before Todd Boehly and co had taken over running the club.
Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images
Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images
Romelu Lukaku’s stats at Napoli
As expected, Lukaku got off to an electric start in a Napoli shirt as he quickly rekindled that relationship with Conte that had proven devastating in the past.
The goals have dried up a bit of late though. He is yet to score in 2025 in a similar vein of form suffered by Nicolas Jackson before he picked up his injury.
Romelu Lukaku 24/25 stats Total
Games 27
Goals 9
Assists 7
The Belgian was recently in action against Como, however Cesc Fabregas’s side kept Lukaku quiet as he picked up arguably his biggest win in management.