Romelu Lukaku claims "everyone would be shocked" about Chelsea exit

The 30-year-old had been widely expected to re-join Inter Milan on a permanent basis from Chelsea during the recent market, but the Italian outfit are said to have dropped their interest after learning that he was also speaking to Juventus.

Lukaku was then strongly linked with a move to Saudi Arabia before he arrived at Roma on loan before the end of the transfer window.

The Belgium international has been in strong form for Jose Mourinho's side this season, scoring seven goals in eight appearances in all competitions.

As it stands, Lukaku will return to Chelsea next summer, but it is highly unlikely that he will play for the Blues again due to the apparent breakdown of his relationship with the club.

The forward has said that he will "speak in time" about his Chelsea exit and claimed that "everyone would be shocked" by the manner of his departure.

"Most of the people in the room know me. You know that I don't like to beat around the bush. I will speak in time, but if I really said how it all went last summer, everyone would be shocked," Lukaku told Sporza.

"What was the biggest nonsense I read? That I was supposedly told I was going to a certain club, but that didn't make any sense. There were moments when I could explode.

"Five years ago, I might have done that too, but now I didn't waste any energy on it. It was a moment to be silent and focus on myself. I concentrated on what I do well: play football."

Lukaku also opened up on a potential switch to Saudi Arabia, claiming that he was "honoured by their interest", but he was not ready to leave European football behind.

"I was honoured by their interest, but after the conversations we had, I was not completely convinced. The League will become one of the biggest in the world, but I didn't want to leave Europe yet," he added.

"I knew full well what was going to happen this summer and there were a few clubs I certainly would not go to. Ultimately, you have to consider what happened in recent years on a football and personal level, which is why I made my choice."

Lukaku is currently in his second spell at Chelsea, initially representing the club between 2011 and 2014 before returning in a big-money deal in the summer of 2021.

The forward scored 14 times for Inter last season, including three in the Champions League, as the Milan giants reached the final of the European competition.