Chelsea’s forward star, Romelu Lukaku, has officially departed from the club in a season-long loan arrangement with Serie A side AS Roma.
The confirmation of the Belgian international’s departure was made through an announcement on Chelsea’s official website. Reports indicate that AS Roma has paid £8 million for Lukaku’s services, and they will also be responsible for covering his salary throughout the duration of the loan spell.
Interestingly, this marks the second transfer of a player to AS Roma from Chelsea, the first being Tammy Abraham’s move during the summer transfer window of 2021. Notably, this will be the third occasion where Romelu Lukaku finds himself under the managerial guidance of Jose Mourinho. Their past collaborations occurred during their time together at Chelsea and Manchester United.
It’s worth recalling that Lukaku’s relationship with Chelsea soured after an interview with Sky Sports during his initial season after returning to the club. This discord led to his loan move to Inter Milan. However, his tenure there also turned sour due to conflicts, as he was in talks with Juventus while Inter aimed to secure a permanent deal with Chelsea.