“Why go back to a club that didn’t appreciate you?” — Cassano unimpressed by Lukaku to Chelsea rumours
Former Inter Milan forward Antonio Cassano has been unimpressed by recent speculation linking current superstar Romelu Lukaku to Chelsea.
The Belgian, 28, is reportedly on the verge of completing a switch to Stamford Bridge, which would see him return to the London club seven years after he initially left for Everton on a permanent basis.
The Blues had an £85m bid rejected by Inter earlier this week, but the Italian champions may be forced to sell their prized asset given their financial difficulties. The Nerazzurri have already parted with Scudetto-winning coach Antonio Conte and Achraf Hakimi to PSG.
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It is believed Chelsea are willing to spend €120m (£102m) on securing their former striker’s services, a figure that Cassano would happily take as an Inter Milan fan, going as far as to say that he would personally take Lukaku to west London himself.
“If this is really how much they are offering, I’d take him there personally,” said Cassano on Twitch.
“Having said that, I want to figure out what’s going on here. He had two really bad experiences in England, one decent one with Everton, and he wants to go back there.
“I have to ask myself, why go back to a club that didn’t appreciate you? Is it for money?”
Lukaku at Chelsea
Lukaku arrived at Stamford Bridge as a promising 18-year-old in 2011, who had already racked up nearly 100 appearances for Anderlecht in his native Belgium, during which time he won the 2009/10 Belgian Pro League and clinched the division’s top scorer award.
However, playing time proved scarce in the capital with the likes of Didier Drogba and Fernando Torres blocking his pathway to the first-team, prompting Lukaku to venture out on loan, first to West Brom and later Everton, signing for the latter permanently for £28m.
During his time at Chelsea, Lukaku mustered just the single Premier League start and failed to find the back of the net. He refused to lift the Champions League trophy in his maiden campaign as he rarely featured, stating in 2012: “it wasn’t me, but my team that won”.
