How to lose fans and alienate your club: Romelu Lukaku's Juventus flirtation shows Inter and Chelsea are better off without him

Lukaku has turned his back on Inter out of the blue once before. After firing the Nerazzurri to the Serie A title in 2020-21, he rejoined Chelsea in a blockbuster £98m ($128m) deal, inviting the wrath of the Curva Nord.

“Dear Lukaku, we expected more honest and transparent behaviour from you," Inter's ultras group said. "But, despite the fact we protected you like a son, like one of us, you too proved yourself to be just like all the rest, going to your knees for money. We wish you the best, even if greed doesn’t always pay."

The grass certainly wasn't greener for Lukaku at Stamford Bridge, as he managed to score just 16 goals across all competitions in his homecoming season while struggling to earn a regular spot in Thomas Tuchel's starting XI. He returned to San Siro with his tail between his legs last summer, but his previous standing as a cult hero was in tatters.

The Curva Nord wrote in a statement on Instagram after Inter agreed to take Lukaku from Chelsea on a one-year loan: "No one should go to welcome him with scarves or banners of the Curva or of the groups that compose it. Everything that in the future will eventually be done towards him will have to earn it on the field with humility and sweat. He was supported (and treated) like a king, now he is one like many."

Injuries limited Lukaku's contribution to Inter's cause in the first half of the season, but he gradually worked his way back into top condition in the new year and met the demands of Inter's die-hard fanbase with his performances in the final third - even while having to play second fiddle to Edin Dzeko.

Lukaku scored seven goals in his final seven Serie A appearances of the campaign, helping Simeone Inzaghi's side finish third in the table, and also made a decisive impact in the Champions League. He got on the scoresheet as Inter beat Benfica 2-0 in the first leg of their quarter-final tie, before providing a vital assist for Lautaro Martinez to wrap up a 3-0 aggregate victory over eternal cross-city foes Milan in the last four.

Inter would ultimately fall short in the final against Manchester City, and Lukaku was guilty of wasting two glorious late chances, but he gave the Premier League champions an almighty fright after coming on as an 57th-minute substitute in Istanbul. And typically, Lukaku said all the right things after the game.

"You guys have been by our side at all times and I personally want to thank you for that," he wrote in a message to supporters on social media. "It shouldn't have happened…We gave everything. It's a sh*tty feeling for all of us who love this beautiful club. But Inter are still hungry and we'll go back to fighting with the hope of one day reaching that moment where history is written."

But less than a month on from that statement, Lukaku has burned all of the bridges with Inter fans that he'd worked so hard to rebuild.

"If Juventus or AC Milan will call me in the future? Never, never. In Italy, there's only Inter for me." Lukaku's promise in his infamous interview with Sky Sports Italia in December 2021 has come back to bite him.

The fact that Lukaku is even considering a switch to Juventus proves that he doesn't know the true meaning of loyalty. And legendary former Inter goalkeeper Walter Zenga has called him out for his duplicitous nature.

When asked if he's seen anything like it before, Zenga told La Gazzetta dello Sport: "No, I don’t remember. Maybe Figo from Barca to Real.” After five successful years at Camp Nou, Figo shocked the football world by completing a €62m (£53m/$70m) transfer to Santiago Bernabeu in the summer of 2000 - becoming the most expensive player in history at the time.

The Portugal legend was subjected to fierce abuse on the occasions he returned to Camp Nou in the white of Real, as fans pelted him with a host of foreign objects, including a pig's head. Lukaku will open himself up to similar treatment if he does end up joining Juventus.

“When I met him, he seemed to me to be a different character altogether," Zenga added. "(The last few days) therefore, have been a massive disappointment. Especially after what he had previously said. Days and days of negotiations with Chelsea, only to find out that in the meantime Lukaku or someone on his behalf had spoken to Milan and Juve, to find out from Chelsea that there is an offer from Juve is just wasted time."

Lukaku said he had "unfinished business" after joining Chelsea for a second time, but after failing to hit the ground running, he quickly started to regret his decision to depart Inter. And instead of staying professional and trying to improve his situation in west London, he dropped a mid-season bombshell.

The experienced centre-forward said to Sky Italia: "If there had been the offer of a new contract from Inter last summer as I wanted... we would not be doing this interview now here from London, but quietly from Milano!"

He added: "I’m always thinking about Milano, Milano, Milano... Inter fans are the best in the world. I love the city and the best moment of my career was at Inter. I am in love with Italy - I have Inter in my heart."

Tuchel dropped Lukaku for an important meeting with Liverpool after the interview, and he was regularly used as a substitute in the final months of the 2021-22 campaign. "Of course, the marriage hasn't gone well so far," the former Chelsea boss later admitted.

Mauricio Pochettino is the latest man to take on arguably the highest-pressure hot seat in the game at Stamford Bridge, and one of his first orders of business is to sort out the Lukaku situation. Shortly before the Argentine's appointment was confirmed in May, it was reported that he would be open to giving Lukaku a second chance as Chelsea's first choice No.9.

In his first official press conference, the new Chelsea boss said: "He needs to come back on the 12th or 13th [July] to be part of the squad and start pre-season. When the player arrives the first thing they are doing is to come to my office to see me and say hello. That is what I expect if he is still a Chelsea player."

Unsurprisingly, Lukaku did not return on time. And transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has said in his latest column for Caught Offside that the striker has been told his Chelsea career is now 100 percent over, with Pochettino fully backing the club's stance.

The Blues have already managed to bring in Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson this summer, as Pochettino is currently in the process of overhauling the squad. It's imperative that Lukaku is the next man to be ushered through the exit door so that Chelsea's new era can take off.

On the surface, Lukaku's proposed move to Juve makes little sense. He was at the centre of a racism storm at the Allianz Stadium in April, and conducted himself admirably on and off the pitch as he stood up to vile abuse from a section of Bianconeri supporters in the first leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final clash between the two clubs.

The possibility of Lukaku breaking his vow to "never" join Juve seemed highly improbable after that, but here we are. Money talks, and the Old Lady are in a far stronger financial position than Inter right now.

Lukaku has the opportunity to pocket a more attractive salary at Juve, who will be expected to bounce back strongly after a hugely disappointing 2022-23 season. He also reportedly has a lucrative offer on the table from Saudi Arabia, but would prefer to keep playing at the highest level in Europe.

It's probably fair to say that Lukaku would be an upgrade on Vlahovic, given his impressive goals record across his 14-year-old career. And Juve will be weakening a direct rival if they can push a deal over the line.

But the whole affair is quickly turning into a PR disaster. A group of Bianconeri fans gathered outside the club's private clinic to protest against a transfer for Lukaku at the start of the week, which no doubt served as an unwelcome distraction for the players as they reported for pre-season medical checks.

And La Gazzetta dello Sport has claimed that Lukaku's American agency, Roc Nation, are considering parting ways with the forward after his decision to enter into negotiations with Juve. They're said to be furious at him for ruining the permanent Inter return narrative and essentially undoing his good work in leading the social media campaign against racism earlier this year.

Juve have had enough off-field issues to deal with in recent times, with points deductions and questions over Massimiliano Allegri's future serving as detrimental sideshows. So, they would be well advised to rethink their pursuit of Lukaku, whose potential arrival is already threatening to cause another rift between the club and its supporters.

Before Lukaku solidified his reputation as one of the most difficult players to manage in the modern era at Inter and Chelsea, he blew what he described as the "opportunity of a lifetime" at Manchester United. He signed a five-year deal at Old Trafford after joining from Everton in a £75m ($98m) deal in July 2017, but would only last two seasons in the North West.

Lukaku started well enough, scoring 27 goals across all competitions in his maiden campaign, but his standards dropped drastically in 2018-19, and he lost his place in the team when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer replaced Jose Mourinho as manager.

United jumped at the chance to sell Lukaku when Inter came calling, and club legend Gary Neville was among those who were glad to see the back of him. "He admitted he was overweight! He is over 100kg! He’s a Manchester United player!" Neville said on Twitter. "He will score goals and do well at Inter Milan but unprofessionalism is contagious."

He added in a separate Tweet: "I’m delighted he’s left. I won’t be happy till everyone (sic) single one of them that think they are better and bigger than the club and don’t want to be here are gone!"

Lukaku issued an angry response to Neville, but he didn't say anything that wasn't true. The former Everton star downed tools when things weren't going his way, the goals dried up and he became a figure of ridicule among supporters for his poor first touch and lack of work ethic.

"I can say [I am a striker short], but that was the decision that I made and I made it happily. Romelu's head was not here for us working forward as a group," Solskjaer said after his exit. Inter and Chelsea really should have picked up on the warning signs from Lukaku's ill-fated stint in Manchester.

Inter are already taking steps to move on from the Lukaku saga, and according to Sky Sports, they've set their sights on Arsenal's Folarin Balogun to replace the Chelsea flop. The 22-year-old flew out to the United States with the rest of the Gunners' squad for their pre-season tour on Sunday, but speculation over his future continues to rage.

Balogun scored 21 goals in Ligue 1 during a hugely impressive loan spell at Reims last season, alerting top clubs across Europe to his talents. And if Inter end up winning the race for the young forward's signature, the memory of Lukaku's betrayal will quickly fade.

The USMNT's new poster boy doesn't boast the same levels of experience, but he is hungrier, and has bags of potential still to unlock. He also brings great commercial appeal as a result of his recent international allegiance decision, and Inter wouldn't have to worry about him being a disruptive presence in the dressing room.

Inter have also lost Edin Dzeko, who joined Fenerbahce after departing San Siro as a free agent, and it will be essential for them to bring at least one more striker on board to provide support for Lautaro when the next season kicks off. Balogun looks to be their main target at the moment, but there are also plenty of other cut-price options on the market.

Lukaku's treachery has left the Nerazzurri in a bind, and Inzaghi has a huge job on his hands to make sure that they remain a competitive force despite a lack of funds for new players. But he won't be wasting a single second of his time dwelling on Lukaku's actions.

The Belgian marksman will always put himself above the collective cause, as Juve will find out if he completes his move to the Allianz Stadium. Inter are well rid.