25 March 2024 , 08:40
906
0
Romelu Lukaku's efforts at Roma have been hailed - with the striker praised as a player who thrives off criticism.
The Belgian is on loan in the Italian capital from Chelsea. It is his second successive season away from Stamford Bridge having spent last term at Inter Milan, who made the Champions League final. Whilst at the Stadio Olympico he's scored 10 goals in 26 Serie A games and added a further seven in nine Europa League appearances.
Lukaku returned to Chelsea for a second spell back in 2021 but was unable to hit his previous heights. The former Manchester United marksman struggled to produce in west London, copping flack for those performances, but former Premier League striker Djibril Cisse has praised his mentality.
The Frenchman told DH Net : "Very much so [I like him as a player]. He’s a great player who scores goals wherever he goes. He’s often been criticised but mentally he’s a strong guy. It seems that criticism makes him better and that’s very strong."
Lukaku's future was unclear back in the summer with Mauricio Pochettino having no plans to bring him back into the fold. As a result he's was one of several players who trained away from the first-team before he eventually secured another loan move to Italy.
Premier League odds and betting tips
"You know that I don’t like to beat around the bush," Lukaku said on the saga. "I will speak in time, but if I really said how it all went last summer everyone would be shocked. There were moments when I really could explode, five years ago I probably would have done that too. Now I have concentrated on what I can do best – playing football."
The Belgian also added: “During the summer I saw what people said about me and I trained to be there the day I had to perform. One day I will tell the truth. The others will also have to assume it at that time.”
The Belgian struggled to have the desired impact at Chelsea (Getty Images)Chelsea spent a then club-record fee to land Lukaku several years ago, but he failed to live up to the price tag despite scoring on his debut. The Blues want to try and cut their losses and a sale to Saudi Arabia is on their radar, as per reports, which could see the Blues land a notable fee.
Lukaku though appeared to have little interest in a move to the Middle East at this stage. “I was honoured by that interest but after the conversations, I was not completely convinced,” he admitted last summer. “They are the biggest club in the Middle East and the league there will become one of the biggest in the world, but I didn’t want to leave Europe yet.”
and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our