Chelsea loanee reluctant to return to club after disastrous debut season

Chelsea will be hoping to record just their third Premier League victory since the middle of October when they face Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday. 

The Blues are in the midst of a dismal run of form, compounded by a 1-0 defeat at home to the Premier League’s bottom side, Southampton, last week.

Pressure is building on Graham Potter to change his side’s fortunes, with sections of the club’s supporters having already called for the Englishman to be sacked.

Now, there could be more bad news on the horizon for Potter, as one of his loanees is reportedly reluctant to return to Stamford Bridge.

According to 90min, Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku isn’t keen on returning to London to rejoin Chelsea when his current loan spell ends.

The forward is currently on loan with Serie A side Inter Milan, following a disastrous campaign with The Blues last year.

Lukaku, who left Chelsea back in 2014 to join Everton, returned to Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2021, costing The Blues around £100 million when he joined from Inter Milan.

The Belgium international had impressed in Italy, scoring 24 goals to propel Inter to the Serie A title in 2021.

His return to England didn’t go to plan, though, with the forward netting just eight times in the Premier League.

Lukaku is reluctant to return to Chelsea

Lukaku was also criticised for a controversial interview with Italian media, during which he criticised then-manager Thomas Tuchel.

At the end of his first season back in the Premier League, Lukaku was sent back to Inter on loan, but he has struggled to replicate the form he showed last time he was in Italy.

So far this term, he has scored just four goals, missing large parts of the campaign due to injury.

Now, the player has reportedly make it clear that he intends on staying put in Italy.

Speaking to CBS Sport, former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry revealed the striker’s plans.

“We had a discussion when he went to Chelsea, and I told him he’s going to find it difficult to play at Chelsea,” Henry, who is the assistant manager of the Belgium national side, said.

“That happened to be the case, because of the way [Thomas] Tuchel liked to play. Pressing, you’re the nine, I’m the nine, I’m the winger, you’re the winger, you have to change.

“Rom likes to stay where he is. Feed him, play him in early, and he’ll try to bully you.

“He was a different type of nine to what Tuchel wanted. Is he going to fit what Potter’s trying to do? They’re struggling enough. And what does he want to do? I don’t think he wants to go back. That’s the main thing. He wants to stay at Inter.”

Lukaku’s contract with Chelsea runs until 2026, but The Blues are unlikely to recoup much of the £100 million that they paid to sign Lukaku if they are to sell him, which puts the Premier League side in a difficult situation.

On Wednesday, the former Manchester United man scored the winner for Inter as they beat Porto 1-0 in the Champions League.