'He was the king'- Antonio Conte reveals what prompted Romelu Lukaku's return to Inter Milan

Antonio Conte, who previously coached Romelu Lukaku through his best spell in professional football at Inter Milan, recently offered his two cents on the prospects of the Belgian. While discussing Chelsea's decision to loan Lukaku to San Siro, the Italian admitted that he could have turned his performances around if he had been given more time.

In fact, 'The Godfather' expressed a great deal of confidence in Lukaku's abilities, predicting a triumphant return to Premier League football. He insisted that the£97.5m flop still had time to collect himself and eventually make his way back to Stamford Bridge to prove himself once and for all.

While discussing the 29-year-old frontman's performance at Chelsea, Conte admitted that he will most certainly be disappointed with his performance for The Blues as he failed to adjust tothe tactical demands of Thomas Tuchel in West London. He merely recorded 15 goals in 44 appearances.

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"I know for sure he is a bit disappointed with his impact, because he wanted to have another impact in England. But he has time. Now it's right for him to play for an important club in Italy to try to get again confidence in himself. But we are talking about a really important, a really good striker. Romelu lived two years in Milan and he was the king. The fans showed him a lot of passion and I think he’s a guy who needs this. For this reason, I think he wanted to come back in Milan, but for sure, the signing was a good signing for Chelsea. There are players that need more time to make an impact."

However, it is interesting to note that Lukaku himself admitted that pushing for a second stint at Stamford Bridge was the wrong career decision for him. Keeping that in mind, the Belgian's return to the London-based outfit is something that remains shrouded in mystery and intrigue.