When his £97.5million return to Chelsea was sealed in the summer, an elated Romelu Lukaku billed the move as some kind of dream homecoming, suggesting it was always his destiny to head back to Stamford Bridge.
‘I’m happy and blessed to be back at this wonderful club,’ he said. ‘The relationship I have with this club means so much to me, as you know. I have supported Chelsea as a kid and now to be back and try to help them win more titles is an amazing feeling.'
Lukaku's first stint in west London did not go to plan. This time around, though, he had arrived back a seasoned, world-class operator with 177 goals in 357 games, a Serie A title and close to 100 Belgium caps in the bag. Everything had happened for a reason and now he was well-equipped to fire his favourite club to major honours.
That utopic scenario certainly looked a possibility when he bagged four goals in the first four games of his second spell, bullying Arsenal and netting a brace against Aston Villa. It very much seemed like £97.5million well spent for Roman Abramovich early on.
Yet, fast forward three months and the situation has well and truly flipped on its head. Lukaku only recently ended a nine-match goal drought in the league after spending a month out injured and two weeks out with Covid-19, Tuchel has often left him on the bench when fit and now he has hit out at his manager in an explosive interview with Sky Italy.
A tally of seven goals in 18, and five in 13 in the league, is not what he, Tuchel or Chelsea would have expected or hoped for. Though his recent run of two goals in as many appearances was certainly encouraging.
That was until Lukaku poured gas on a fire that appeared to be fading, expressing his unhappiness with the current situation under Tuchel and an apparent desire to return to Inter Milan in a bombshell interview which has surprised his manager and angered Chelsea fans.
Just four months after gushing over his 'amazing' return to a club that 'means so much' to him, Lukaku has already thrown his toys out of the pram at the first sign of adversity and flirted with his former employers in the process. So much for that dream homecoming, Romelu.
It will be difficult for supporters to trust a word he says from now until the end of his second Blues career, which may not last too much longer the way things are heading.
Though would that really be such a disaster? In truth, Lukaku has generally been disappointing since his return.
He's scored a handful of league goals, none of which have come against elite opposition, struggled to exert his size and strength on the majority of games, and his presence upfront sometimes seems to hinder the fluid frontline which conquered Europe last season.
To have stormed back into SW6 declaring himself a Blues fan, be welcomed back by supporters with open arms and then hint at an exit not even five months later is a slap in the face to everyone associated with the club.
After an uninspiring start to the second chapter of his Chelsea story, Romelu knows where the door is if he wants a swift exit.
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