Romelu Lukaku says he turned down a move to Manchester City in 2020 and only decided to swap Inter Milan for Chelsea when his request for a new contract in Italy was rejected this summer.
In an interview with Sky in Italy recorded earlier in December, Romelu Lukaku said he was not happy with his situation at Chelsea, questioned Thomas Tuchel's system and said he might return to Inter.
The comments are not helpful, as they bring noise that we don't need, but Tuchel claimed the forward looks far from being unhappy at the club.
In the second part of the interview, which was released on Friday, he said he would stay in Italy if the club gave him a new deal.
At the end of the first year, I turned down an offer from Manchester City which was higher than the one I received this summer.
I did it because I didn't want to leave and it was only a year. Inter saved my career, so I wanted to do something good for them.
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In Italy, Romelu told Sky that he was not happy with the situation at Chelsea and that he might return to Inter.
Things weren't going well at Manchester United and I was in a deep hole. We did great things together despite the fact that I was a big investment.
After we won the title, I went to speak with the club chiefs and asked for a new contract. I did it because I told myself I was 28, my family feels great in Milan, I still have my flat there, my mother and my son could come and live there, and we would all feel comfortable.
They didn't want to extend my contract. It was difficult for me to accept, because I was told I would be able to do more in Milan.
There are three teams that I think are the best in football. Every player dreams of playing for one of these teams. If I ever had the chance, I would sign a new contract with Inter and then go there.
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Thomas Tuchel.
Skysportsthomas-tuchel-chelsea_5606898 was added to the site on 21/12/18.
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Romelu Lukaku's comments about his place in the squad in a past interview have not been helpful, but may have been taken out of context.
I told myself that there was only one team that I could see myself in, and that was the one that I could not see myself in. I was not thinking about going there, but at one point they came in for me and I asked Inzaghi to leave.
It hurt me that they didn't try to make me sign a new contract. If Inter offered me a new contract, I would have stayed. That is what goes without saying.
I hadn't won anything in England in eight years and that bothered me a lot. I have supported the team since I was a child, so it was hard to turn down the chance to be a part of it.
More to come...
