Inter Milan still believe in Romelu Lukaku, but not talking about next season

When Romelu Lukaku went back to Inter Milan (on loan) from Chelsea in the summer, it seemed like we were solving two problems with one solution-stone, hitting the proverbial undo button on the €100m mistake (less loan fees) from the summer before.

Alas, it’s turned out that the solution hasn’t played out satisfactorily for either side.

Lukaku has been hurt most of the season and unfit for most of the rest. Chelsea meanwhile have struggled to score for most of the season and failed to score at all for most the rest.

And the worst part is that undoing the undo probably won’t solve anything either!

It’s a mess.

Still, at least Lukaku’s situation seems to be trending the right way. He’s started back-to-back games over the past week for the first time since late August, and even managed to get on the scoresheet in Saturday’s 3-1 win over Udinese. It was his first goal in four months and just the third goal in thirteen appearances all season, but it’s being seen as reward for his hard work and dedication to the cause.

Inter sporting director, Piero Ausilio added some public appreciation as well, while laying down a clear challenge: keep it up, and we might even keep you.

“He’s improving training after training, game after game. A player who just wants to prove his worth. He’s had to work very hard (‘pay a big debt’) to come back from the serious injury that kept him away from the field. The determination I’m seeing these days makes me feel calm, especially for this last part of the season.

“[But] he has to keep doing what he’s been doing for a few months. He is focused on the pitch and we are not talking about the future with his agents or with him. He knows we’re here to try and do our best, if there’s a chance to go ahead we’ll see it later. Today for him, as for many others in the team, it is not the time to talk about the future. He must try to be the protagonist for our goals.”

-Piero Ausilio; source; FCInter1908 via Italy24

The assumption and hope has always been that Inter would basically keep loaning Lukaku pretty much until his contract runs out (so that’s three more years after this). But if we can get at least one more out of them, we might be doing alright.