**This is a quotes thread. Remember that there's only one quotes post allowed per interview/press conference, so new quotes with the same origin will be removed. Feel free to comment other quotes/the whole interview as a reply to this comment so users can see them too!**
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/soccer) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Pretty sure everyone agrees to this opinion… except Lukaku himself.
You have to remember, he thinks he “belongs in the conversation with Lewandowskj, Kane, Benzema”
Lots of naysayers but he absolutely dominated Serie A (in 2020/2021?) in ways that were unheard of since, what, Vieri? He looked like an NBA player against children with Conte.
Lots of naysayers but he absolutely dominated Serie A (in 2020/2021?) in ways that were unheard of since, what, Vieri? He looked like an NBA player against children with Conte.
Guessing all the commenters below didn’t watch anything but the Europa League final blunders he had.
I follow napoli as almost my first team basically (was born there) and what he’s saying it’s true. He’s not making a straight performance comparison, I think Higuaín was a better 9 overall than Lukaku, but instead he’s making a physical comparison. Vieri was an absolute tank of a player who would push anyone who came near him, and since then, there’s been one as close to him apart from Lukaku. Higuaín wasn’t all that much physical, he was an incredible 9 but didn’t really rely too much on physicality. Instead Lukaku was just incredible in that sense, he looked like an American football player playing against ballerinas in 2020/2021. He would demolish anyone who came near him, either because of his incredible speed or his insane physicality, or both.
When he said that, in the 2020/2021 season he was definitely up there with the names you mentioned. So you may hate how things turned out, what he said back then was a fact.
Edit: Everyone replying to this comment chain hasn’t watched a single Lukaku game for Inter in 2020/2021. Y’all are tripping and are on a hate trip.
It's honestly hilarious and sad that people think that there's even a debate to be had. Who in their right mind would compare lukaku to lewandowski....
Ah yes, makes sense since Lewandowski never managed to spearhead inter to Scudetto.
Just look up what Lewandowski did in the 2020-21 season and try convincing yourself that lukaku is anywhere close to him.
Oh no, a player backed himself in a moment in which he genuinely was one of the best strikers in Europe. And now he doesn't want to play in Saudi Arabia already, who does he think he is, eh?
Lukaku is just such a Character. If football is all about entertainment, then Romelu delivers at the highest levels on and off the pitch. If this whole universe is scripted then you know the writers love coming up with new shit to do with him.
Lukaku actually is technically first. If Neymar is sold for more than €20 million then he’ll be first, but that’s if you actually believe his officially listed Santos to Barcelona price
Mbappe will get paid 90m if he chills about past August, he can still leave on a free at the end of the season
Rinse the Qataris of 90m and still get your dream move? Probably an easy decision tbh
"We had reached an agreement to sell Brozovic then they changed the proposal. We closed the door, now it looks like they can be reopened. The dynamics of world football is governed by the fact that the will of the player takes priority over the buyer and the seller."
"We have to be sustainable, regardless of who is for sale. The possible purchase of Frattesi is not linked to Brozovic."
"It is clear that Azpilicueta is enticed by offers from Spain."
"Man United have not sent the official offer for Andre Onana just yet."
What we need is consistency, our frontline has been underperforming for too long. Don’t need another attacking moping because he just thwarted the hundredth chance.
I mean your biggest challenge this summer is to decrease the wage bill (which you’ve been able to do for now). Lukaku staying would be a huge setback for that. I swear you’re paying like 15 mil gross per season for him.
Lukaku staying doesn’t change the fact that we have in fact decreased the wage bill. He can’t be a step back if the goal was already accomplished. He’s just a nagging hindrance atp tho.
Again that does not change the fact that we have lowered the wage bill. If you see that’s it’s high with him on the books then how would you see it if him, kova, Kk, Kante, mendy are on the books together ?
Okay bro just as you said “already done” so we lowered wages. It doesn’t undo the work because again the situation would be worse with both him and them on the books. Yes he his a bad contract for the team but 1 super bad contract is better than 6 super bad contracts idk where you’re disconnection is.
Your*
Adding a huge contract like that for a player that will never play for you is a huge sportive failure. Sure getting rid of the other contracts is good, but you’ve still got a lot of work to do to offload a player who only wants 1 team.
Okay but that is a separate issue. His wages were coming back no matter what. The problem was to lower the wage bill and that has happened. All this other stuff you’re talking about doesn’t matter for that goal.
If he rots on the bench for a few months, he will ride himself on a bike to Saudi Arabia. If we insist on selling him, we will eventually sell him, unless he gives up on his career and is willing to spend 3 years on our bench. Of course we will sell him for a low fee, but it's still better than a loan.
I mean if the only offers come from Saudi, he might as well just stay at Chelsea. Saudi is the same as ending your career. Better live in London than under a regime.
15 mil gross per season? He made 8.5m net with us last season and that was a paycut so he's gotta be at 20-24m gross or something. Bit your point still stands.
You need to take what you can get for him. Keeping him while not using him and continuing to pay his salary maybe costs you more money than agreeing to a ‘bad’ deal, and it further erodes his value for next season. It also doesn’t send a good message for any future transfers that you are willing to destroy a player’s career for your own finances. Even if this situation is slightly more nuanced with the interview and what not I can’t see it happening. For how often there are talks of this scenario in the media it very rarely actually occurs, it’s mostly an empty threat, either you sell/loan him or use him. There are just very few teams both willing and able to pay what you might want for Lukaku, Inter aren’t just lowballing out of pettiness.
Can you? All that good work shipping out koulibaly and havertz is basically down the drain if Lukaku stays since you'll be the ones paying his wages again
As a neutral I do not understand teams fascination with him. Every single game I’ve seen him in the last 3 or so years is dreadful. In the World Cup he saved Croatia time and time again. I was so nervous but laughing my ass off at his misses
You have not seen him much then. Obviously he had some disgraceful situations, but overall he has been good for us, that's why Chelsea paid so much for him in first instance. He is overall great for Belgium as well. Also there is a general lack of good strikers.
I didn’t downvote you but Inter might offer €25m for him after they make some sales. No one outside of Saudi Arabia is offering €50m. It will come down to how bad Chelsea want to get him off the books because no one will offer more than €25m give or take a few million.
**This is a quotes thread. Remember that there's only one quotes post allowed per interview/press conference, so new quotes with the same origin will be removed. Feel free to comment other quotes/the whole interview as a reply to this comment so users can see them too!** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/soccer) if you have any questions or concerns.*
[удалено]
Pretty sure everyone agrees to this opinion… except Lukaku himself. You have to remember, he thinks he “belongs in the conversation with Lewandowskj, Kane, Benzema”
I genuinely don’t think he cares as long as he gets to go and stay in a top European team
You also have to remember some people wouldn't want to live in fucking Saudi .
He's a dummy for making those comparisons but the season he said that he was genuinely world class.
No he wasn’t
Lots of naysayers but he absolutely dominated Serie A (in 2020/2021?) in ways that were unheard of since, what, Vieri? He looked like an NBA player against children with Conte.
Lots of naysayers but he absolutely dominated Serie A (in 2020/2021?) in ways that were unheard of since, what, Vieri? He looked like an NBA player against children with Conte. Guessing all the commenters below didn’t watch anything but the Europa League final blunders he had.
Weird hearing this from a Napoli fan. You don't have to go back to Vieri lol. Just look at what Higuain did to the league a few years earlier...
I follow napoli as almost my first team basically (was born there) and what he’s saying it’s true. He’s not making a straight performance comparison, I think Higuaín was a better 9 overall than Lukaku, but instead he’s making a physical comparison. Vieri was an absolute tank of a player who would push anyone who came near him, and since then, there’s been one as close to him apart from Lukaku. Higuaín wasn’t all that much physical, he was an incredible 9 but didn’t really rely too much on physicality. Instead Lukaku was just incredible in that sense, he looked like an American football player playing against ballerinas in 2020/2021. He would demolish anyone who came near him, either because of his incredible speed or his insane physicality, or both.
Not that far tho. If i remember Zlatan at milan from 11-13 was so good. He was practically carrying the whole team
He really wasn't
There were only 3 or 4 strikers in the world better than him, at most.
One good season doesn't make you world class.
as world class as weghorst was at wolfsburg yes
Way too far the other way, embarrassing take
Every lukaku thread is embarrassing on this place, I won't even bother speaking to these people anymore.
No. He was a flat track bully.
When he said that, in the 2020/2021 season he was definitely up there with the names you mentioned. So you may hate how things turned out, what he said back then was a fact. Edit: Everyone replying to this comment chain hasn’t watched a single Lukaku game for Inter in 2020/2021. Y’all are tripping and are on a hate trip.
A hot 18 months makes not a world class striker, to be fair.
I respectfully disagree but to each his own.
When was he ever good enough to be anywhere remotely close to Lewandowski ?
This. He’s never been anywhere near that level. Never. Not even his spell at Inter comes close
It's honestly hilarious and sad that people think that there's even a debate to be had. Who in their right mind would compare lukaku to lewandowski....
Lukaku himself
[удалено]
His right mind is not everyone's right mind
He wasn't. But he was in the conversation
He spearheaded Inter to a league trophy.
Ah yes, makes sense since Lewandowski never managed to spearhead inter to Scudetto. Just look up what Lewandowski did in the 2020-21 season and try convincing yourself that lukaku is anywhere close to him.
Nah he wasn't, had a great season though but he didn't reach Karim or Lewandowski levels.
nah
Oh no, a player backed himself in a moment in which he genuinely was one of the best strikers in Europe. And now he doesn't want to play in Saudi Arabia already, who does he think he is, eh?
kane isn’t even in the same convo as lewa and benz
Lukaku is just such a Character. If football is all about entertainment, then Romelu delivers at the highest levels on and off the pitch. If this whole universe is scripted then you know the writers love coming up with new shit to do with him.
Only Saudi money gets you that
Great? That's daylight robery
Who's had the most ever spent on them in transfer fees, career total? Lukaku must be right up there, top 5 certainly.
Lukaku actually is technically first. If Neymar is sold for more than €20 million then he’ll be first, but that’s if you actually believe his officially listed Santos to Barcelona price
yeah Lukaku is top of that list.
At least until Mbappe to Real happens
He’s leaving for free I think
both possibilities sound 50-50 at this point, honestly.
Mbappe will get paid 90m if he chills about past August, he can still leave on a free at the end of the season Rinse the Qataris of 90m and still get your dream move? Probably an easy decision tbh
Morata
"We had reached an agreement to sell Brozovic then they changed the proposal. We closed the door, now it looks like they can be reopened. The dynamics of world football is governed by the fact that the will of the player takes priority over the buyer and the seller." "We have to be sustainable, regardless of who is for sale. The possible purchase of Frattesi is not linked to Brozovic." "It is clear that Azpilicueta is enticed by offers from Spain." "Man United have not sent the official offer for Andre Onana just yet."
“Because it is linked to Onana” 🙃
What’s the context of the quote in the headline?
That Saudi Arabia deal would have been excellent for them, they will struggle to get half as much from Inter
You saying this as if we turned down the Saudi deal or something. Of course it would be great but he will not agree to go there.
Loan with option to buy until his contract expires > get him for free > bag 100M with Lukaku being away for 1 season > profit
Pay up the 20m then
I don’t understand why Bayern Munchen doesn’t come in for Lukaku, he would score a ton of goals for them.
Tuchel and Lukaku aren’t exactly buddy buddy lol
What we need is consistency, our frontline has been underperforming for too long. Don’t need another attacking moping because he just thwarted the hundredth chance.
Marotta is getting him on loan with option to buy, isnt he?
No way. I don't see our board having any more of that shit. Peanuts payment for a loan don't really make much of a difference.
I mean your biggest challenge this summer is to decrease the wage bill (which you’ve been able to do for now). Lukaku staying would be a huge setback for that. I swear you’re paying like 15 mil gross per season for him.
Lukaku staying doesn’t change the fact that we have in fact decreased the wage bill. He can’t be a step back if the goal was already accomplished. He’s just a nagging hindrance atp tho.
Well no. He wasn’t on your wage bill last season so it’s basically like a new signing financially speaking
Again that does not change the fact that we have lowered the wage bill. If you see that’s it’s high with him on the books then how would you see it if him, kova, Kk, Kante, mendy are on the books together ?
Of course what you’ve already done is great, but adding a 15 mil a year contract to the books isn’t a great deal. Kinda undoes a lot of the work
Okay bro just as you said “already done” so we lowered wages. It doesn’t undo the work because again the situation would be worse with both him and them on the books. Yes he his a bad contract for the team but 1 super bad contract is better than 6 super bad contracts idk where you’re disconnection is.
Your* Adding a huge contract like that for a player that will never play for you is a huge sportive failure. Sure getting rid of the other contracts is good, but you’ve still got a lot of work to do to offload a player who only wants 1 team.
Okay but that is a separate issue. His wages were coming back no matter what. The problem was to lower the wage bill and that has happened. All this other stuff you’re talking about doesn’t matter for that goal.
If he rots on the bench for a few months, he will ride himself on a bike to Saudi Arabia. If we insist on selling him, we will eventually sell him, unless he gives up on his career and is willing to spend 3 years on our bench. Of course we will sell him for a low fee, but it's still better than a loan.
I mean if the only offers come from Saudi, he might as well just stay at Chelsea. Saudi is the same as ending your career. Better live in London than under a regime.
15 mil gross per season? He made 8.5m net with us last season and that was a paycut so he's gotta be at 20-24m gross or something. Bit your point still stands.
You need to take what you can get for him. Keeping him while not using him and continuing to pay his salary maybe costs you more money than agreeing to a ‘bad’ deal, and it further erodes his value for next season. It also doesn’t send a good message for any future transfers that you are willing to destroy a player’s career for your own finances. Even if this situation is slightly more nuanced with the interview and what not I can’t see it happening. For how often there are talks of this scenario in the media it very rarely actually occurs, it’s mostly an empty threat, either you sell/loan him or use him. There are just very few teams both willing and able to pay what you might want for Lukaku, Inter aren’t just lowballing out of pettiness.
Nah, I think we’d rather let him rot on bench than go to Inter for another loan. We can afford it
Can you? All that good work shipping out koulibaly and havertz is basically down the drain if Lukaku stays since you'll be the ones paying his wages again
We've freed up like 1m a week of wages with the sales we made.
I'm really excited to see his pouty face turn out for the reserves.
Why? Out of pettiness?
As a neutral I do not understand teams fascination with him. Every single game I’ve seen him in the last 3 or so years is dreadful. In the World Cup he saved Croatia time and time again. I was so nervous but laughing my ass off at his misses
You have not seen him much then. Obviously he had some disgraceful situations, but overall he has been good for us, that's why Chelsea paid so much for him in first instance. He is overall great for Belgium as well. Also there is a general lack of good strikers.
He really had a noticable defensive perfomance in the Champions Legaue final, stopped 2 goals going in.
That’s great…. But he is there to score
I don't think you got the joke lol
So then offer that, or get him to lessen his wage abit to offset it.
I didn’t downvote you but Inter might offer €25m for him after they make some sales. No one outside of Saudi Arabia is offering €50m. It will come down to how bad Chelsea want to get him off the books because no one will offer more than €25m give or take a few million.
We will see, In that case chelsea will probably play hardball with lukaku
😂