Belgian international Romelu Lukaku arrived in Rome late Tuesday afternoon where he was welcomed by around 5,000 AS Roma supporters as his loan from Chelsea is to be formalized in the coming hours. According to footage from Italian TV channel Sky Sport 24, Lukaku, dressed in black and all smiles, was cheered as he disembarked from the private jet chartered by AS Roma which landed at Ciampino airport around 5:30 p.m. (3:30 p.m. GMT).
He still had to pass his medical examination on Tuesday, before the formalization of his one-year loan without an option to buy, probably on Wednesday. Chelsea, his club since 2021, will recover 5.8 million euros in the operation. Negotiations between Chelsea and Roma, led directly in London by the American owner-president of the Italian club Dan Friedkin, dragged on, particularly on the question of salary, Lukaku having finally accepted a reduction in his emoluments to still receive 7 .5 million per year.
At Roma, the Belgian will find José Mourinho who has already managed him at Chelsea and Manchester United. Recruited by Chelsea in 2021 for 115 million euros after a first stint between 2011 and 2014, Lukaku had already been loaned last season to Inter Milan, with whom he relaunched by scoring 14 goals.
Maurizio Pochettino, the new coach of the Blues, did not count on him and a Saudi club tried to recruit him in vain. Juventus were in line for a while to welcome “Big Rom”, as part of an exchange with Dusan Vlahovic, but their supporters were opposed to it. His arrival in Rome already arouses a lot of excitement and expectations among Roma supporters who already see the Lukaku / Paulo Dybala association offering them the title of Italian champion. After two days, Roma are 13th with a single point and receive the leader, AC Milan, on Friday.
