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Over the last few months, there have been some weird stories regarding Romelu Lukaku. The Belgian wonderkid, so committed to Chelsea that he cried when he first stepped foot in Stamford Bridge, had, or so it was implied, fallen out with manager Jose Mourinho and was looking forward to staying away from the club on loan.
Where was the thoughtful, quiet youngster that we'd all come to know and love? Before this season, Lukaku epitomised how a young professional should behave. He focused on his football, refusing to let anything distract him, and whenever he talked he did so with a smile on his face. Where did he go?
As it turns out, he didn't go anywhere.
I've had Jose Mourinho as a coach for two months. [He's something] special. He's building the foundations of an unbeatable machine again. We didn't have problems.
He wanted me to stay and asked me why I wanted to leave. In some interviews my words were twisted, but the truth is that he accepted to let me leave. He did understand what I wanted. That's what I really appreciate in him.Source: Sport Voetbal via Sky Sports.
So that's the Mourinho rift story going up in a puff of smoke. How about whether or not he actually wants to come back?
Am I getting ready for Chelsea next season? Yes, why else would I have signed a contract for five years? I will return to Chelsea as one of the best strikers in the Premier League.
I still want to become one of the best strikers in the world. I hope that you can put me in line with Cavani, Ibrahimovic, Van Persie, Suarez and Lewandowski in two years' time. I analyse them all. I look at their movements. The presence of Ibrahimovic, the left foot of Van Persie, the right foot of Cavani, the movement of Lewandowski and the dribbles of Suarez.
That's the Lukaku I remember. He's committed, articulate and freakishly ambitious. I'm very glad he decided to remind us of just what we have in store as he matures into the finished product.
