"I tried to call him in those days of chaos, he never answered me" - Inter Milan star hits out at Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku

Inter Milan forward Lautaro Martinez has hit out at Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku.

The Belgian forward has been thick in the middle of controversy this month. After ending his season-long loan at Inter, Lukaku returned to Chelsea this summer. As per initial reports, he was keen to reunite with the Serie A giants, this time on a permanent deal.

Inter were in negotiations with the Blues for a permanent deal when fellow Italian club Juventus entered the fray. Their interest in Lukaku saw the Belgian striker push back on Inter, which greatly upset the Milan-based club.

Confirming reports that Lukaku refused to pick up phone calls from Inter members and players, Lautaro Martinez said (via talksport):

“Lukaku? I was disappointed, it’s the truth. I also tried to call him in those days of chaos, he never answered me, the same with my other teammates. After so many years together, after so many things lived together, I was disappointed. Thankfully, it’s his choice. I wish him the best, but I didn’t expect this attitude.”

Inter pulled out of the deal due to the player's lack of respect for the club. Juventus have also now reportedly backed away from the deal, leaving Lukaku in the wilderness at Chelsea.

The Blues have all but confirmed that Lukaku is not a part of their plan. He was left behind at Cobham while the team jetted out to the United States for their pre-season tour.

Lukaku had previously burned his relationship at the Bridge by claiming in an interview back in 2021 that he would prefer to play for Inter or other European giants over the Blues. This interview with Sky Italia took place while he was a Chelsea player, in fact their record buy at the time, worth £97.5 million.

He now seems to have ruined his relationship with Inter Milan as well. The player will hope to see his future resolved quickly or risk sitting out a large chunk of the season in south-west London.

Chelsea have revamped their frontline ahead of the new season

Going into this summer, the Blues frontline consisted of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Romelu Lukaku, Kai Havertz, David Datro Fofana, and Armando Broja.

The club has sold Kai Havertz (£65m to Arsenal) and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (free deal to Marseille), with Fofana leaving on loan for Union Berlin. Broja is continuing his recovery from his ACL injury while Romelu Lukaku is no longer a part of the first-team squad.

The Blues have signed two new forwards in Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku, who have scored a combined total of five goals in three pre-season friendlies.