The Belgian is despised by the supporters of his last three clubs – as well as those of Juventus – but he could become a hero at the Stadio Olimpico
Say what you will about Jose Mourinho, but he retains an impressive ability to figure out what makes certain players tick. Two summers ago, after Romelu Lukaku had fired Inter to a first Serie A title in more than a decade with 24 goals in 36 appearances, Mourinho insisted that he was not in the least bit to see the Belgian thrive at San Siro.
"These two years at Inter have given him the stature and the self-confidence that he didn't have before," the Portuguese told . "At Chelsea, he was still a kid. At Manchester United, he was still developing. At Inter, he became the top man. He became loved – a big love from the supporters, love from team-mates, great relations with the coach.
"He's a big guy, physically so strong, but there is also a kid inside who needs that love, needs that support, needs to feel important."
Mourinho was spot on, with Lukaku's child-like nature having been laid bare over the past six months.
Getty'Inter is the most important thing…'
In between reaffirming his love of living in Milan and his desire to make his loan move permanent at the end of the 2022-23 season, an out-of-form and out-of-shape Lukaku insisted he was not in the least bit frustrated by being relegated to third-choice striker under Inter coach Simone Inzaghi. The club comes first, he stated time and time again. "Inter is the most important thing" became his mantra.
However, after catching fire at the end of the campaign, Lukaku expected to start ahead of Edin Dzeko in the Champions League final against Juventus – and was enraged that he did not. According to the , the Istanbul snub was the final straw for Lukaku, who ultimately decided against re-joining Inter – even after a deal had been agreed with Chelsea.
That was Lukaku's prerogative, of course: if he didn't feel the full faith of the coach, he was entitled to look elsewhere, and there's no denying that Inzaghi erred badly in starting Dzeko against City, given the Bosnian's total lack of pace.
However, Lukaku's decision to enter into secret talks with Juventus was still absolutely shocking, and his refusal to even answer Inter's concerned calls utterly shameful.
AdvertisementGettyDespised by four separate fanbases
Lukaku, remember, had previously stated that he would never even consider moving to Turin, given Juve are Inter's most hated rivals. And yet, ultimately, nobody was too surprised.
Such behaviour has come to be expected from Lukaku. His words – just like his badge kisses – count for very little, while he doesn't just burn bridges, he incinerates them, pollutes the water underneath and contaminates the surrounding area. Consequently, Lukaku is now arguably the most hated player in football history, detested by four separate sets of supporters all at the same time.
Manchester United fans – Gary Neville included – were thrilled to see the back of him when he left Old Trafford for Inter in 2019 because of a perceived lack of professionalism. Their Inter counterparts were twice let down by Lukaku, while at Stamford Bridge they are still fuming over an unsanctioned interview with that must rank second only to Cristiano Ronaldo's love-in with Piers Morgan as the biggest PR disaster in recent football history.
As for the Juventus faithful, they were so aghast at the idea of their club replacing Dusan Vlahovic with Lukaku that they stormed the pitch during a pre-season friendly to protest against the proposed player-plus-cash deal.
Answer to Mourinho's prayers
And yet Lukaku has already been given a rapturous welcome in Rome – why? Because they need him.
Firstly, there's the fact that Tammy Abraham is out for six months with a knee injury, meaning Roma are short on options up front. Jose Mourinho was so desperate for a striker to be signed that he sent a cheeky message to his bosses in pre-season by pretending to embrace a new No.9 in the club's team photo.
As it transpired, he need not have worried. The Friedkin Group, who took over in 2020, have been running Roma in a sensible and sustainable manner, but they've been very clear about their desire to get the club back into the Champions League.
Wrapping up a deal for Lukaku, then, was of the utmost importance to the owners, as underlined by the fact that club president Dan Friedkin even piloted the private jet that brought the centre-forward to Rome on Tuesday evening.
According to a source close to the club, "The Friedkin family are highly committed to building a team that can achieve the glory that the fans deserve. The efforts of Dan and (vice-president) Ryan are clearly seen in deals such as this, as bringing in world-class players such as Lukaku is part of their vision for Roma."
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'Romelv': The new king of Rome?
The supporters are certainly happy. They turned out in impressive numbers to welcome him at Ciampino airport, while a mural of Lukaku as a gladiator has already appeared in the centre of Rome.
So, while it's clear that the 30-year-old's reputation is beyond repair after so many betrayals in recent seasons, 'Romelv' could not have hoped for a better club, coach or set of supporters to help him resurrect his career.
The question is, though, what kind of condition Lukaku will be in after spending the past few weeks training with Chelsea's Under-21s. Because of his considerable bulk, Lukaku is renowned for taking some time to get back up to speed after significant spells on the sidelines and, as former Juventus midfielder Massimo Mauro told , "He has to be 100 percent physical because if he is not, then he's a useless player."