ROMELU LUKAKU has become the most expensive player EVER in accumulated transfer fees after he returned to Chelsea.
Chelsea have paid Inter Milan £97.5MILLION to bring the Belgian striker back to Stamford Bridge ten years after he first joined.
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The completed deal means clubs have spent a combined £285.5million on the 28-year-old – surpassing Neymar’s prior record of £246.6m.
The Brazilian moved from Santos to Barcelona and later Paris Saint-Germain in a world-record £198m deal in 2017.
But with Lukaku, who has signed a five-year deal, back in SW6, his total transfer fees beat that figure.
The forward started his career with Anderlecht in his homeland before signing for Chelsea for £10m in 2011.
But after three years, 15 games and no goals – despite a prolific loan spells at West Brom and Everton – Lukaku was sold to the Toffees for £28m in 2014.
There, he cemented himself as a prolific scorer, with 87 goals in 166 games before securing a mega move to Manchester United in 2017.
Lukaku snubbed interest from Chelsea to move to Old Trafford, where he enjoyed mixed success as their No9.
He scored 42 goals in 96 matches but failed to fit in United’s style as he was again moved on.
Inter signed the Belgian for £74m in 2019 in a move which rejuvenated Lukaku.
He scored 34 goals in his first season as Inter narrowly missed out on the Serie A by just a point.
But last season Lukaku helped the Italian giants end their 11-year wait for a league title as he hit 24 goals in 36 matches.
It convinced Chelsea to go back in for their old striker, as they looked to bolster their threat in front of goal.
Lukaku said: “I’m happy and blessed to be back at this wonderful club.”
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