Romelu Lukaku left Chelsea after a miserable time and struck a new deal with Inter Milan before going to Juventus and then Roma. Now, under Jose Mourinho, the striker has been in glittering form
Romelu Lukaku is ready to shock football by blowing the lid on the real story behind his 2023 transfer saga.
The Belgium international left Chelsea after a miserable time and struck a new deal with Inter Milan before going to Juventus and then Roma. Now, under Jose Mourinho, Lukaku has been in glittering form with seven goals in eight matches, making him a favourite with the Roma fans
But it is a massive surprise considering the transfer trauma that Lukaku suffered. The 30-year-old said: “I have to wait for the right moment. You all know me. When I speak, I don’t go around the pot. Then I don’t do politics.
“I know what has been going on behind the scenes, but when I tell my story, I want everyone to listen to my point of view for once and nothing is taken out of context. The time is not yet right for that. We are in a good groove. At Roma, we won the last three matches and I left with good vibes. For the national team, it is also an important week. But I read so much bulls**t.”
There is always big speculation and top-level talks involved in any big transfer. But Lukaku went on: “I had supposedly told myself I was going to a certain club [Inter Milan], but that didn’t make sense.
“There were also a few clubs I wouldn’t go to [Juventus]. At one point, I was about to explode. When 90 per cent of what is said about you is not true, it is hard to keep your mouth shut. Five years ago, I would definitely have exploded, but now I didn’t put my energy into it. Not now, either. If I really told the truth here at this moment, many would be shocked.
“I just want to make an example of NBA player LeBron James, even though I’m not like LeBron. Bam, bam, bam — that one took a lot of criticism but handled it unflinchingly. I want to adopt that mentality.”
Lukaku is in a rich vein of form with Roma. He added: “I spent the whole summer focusing on what I do best: playing football. There are a lot of people who have been talking in my name, but I’ve been working especially hard on my own.
“The more intense the negotiations with AS Roma became, the harder I trained. I have to thank Radja Nainggolan because he told me a lot about the club and about the supporters.
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“In addition, of course, I had talks with Jose Mourinho. I didn’t play at my good level for two years due to injuries, a dramatic World Cup, and having to sit on the bench in Champions League matches… it was important to find a club where I could take responsibility and find teammates who could also achieve something. I never doubted it would work out with Mourinho.”
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