Romelu Lukaku has set his sights on leading the line for Inter when they take on Serie A leaders Napoli in their opening match of 2023. According to TUTTOmercatoWEB, the Belgium international has regained full fitness ahead of the league resumption in January.
Lukaku’s last top-flight start for Inter dates back to August. Since moving back to Giuseppe Meazza on a season-long loan from Chelsea, the 29-year-old has massively struggled with injuries. Plagued by continuous physical setbacks, he has mustered one goal from only four Serie A appearances. But he was recently backed to change the dynamics of the Scudetto race by former Nerazzurri midfielder Nicola Berti.
Inter had high hopes for Lukaku when they negotiated his return to Italy in the summer. Last season’s Serie A runners-up agreed to pay Chelsea €8m plus €4m in add-ons for their underachieving striker. But instead of turning his fortunes around at Meazza, where he reignited his career following a nightmarish spell at Manchester United, he has been a flop.
While Lukaku’s on-field performances are not to blame, his inability to maintain optimal fitness levels has been an issue. He returned to action at the World Cup but only to land a fatal blow on Belgium’s bid to make it out of the group stages. His epic misses against Croatia on matchday three sent De Rode Duivels packing.
However, his abysmal showing against the bronze-medal winners has seemingly done nothing to shatter his confidence. Lukaku is reportedly hellbent on soaking up a prominent role against Napoli next week. His determination seems to have convinced Inter chiefs Beppe Marotta and Piero Ausilio to reopen talks with Chelsea over a new loan.
The Inter executives hope to take advantage of Lukaku’s proneness to injuries to extend his temporary stay in Serie A on more favorable terms. It’s still uncertain whether Chelsea would accept that proposal, but there’s no doubt – he has no future in London anymore.