Antonio Conte: Romelu Lukaku was still a good signing for Chelsea despite Inter Milan loan return

Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte believes Romelu Lukaku was still a good signing for Chelsea despite his return to Inter Milan this summer.

Lukaku signed for the Blues last summer for a club record fee but after a positive start to his second stint at the club, he failed to make a real impact at Stamford Bridge.

He has now returned to the San Siro on a season-long loan deal after scoring just 15 goals in 44 games last season.

Conte, who was previously at the helm at Chelsea from 2016 to 2018, spent two seasons at Inter alongside the Belgian striker, with the duo proving to be successful together.

They won the Serie A title in 2021, with Lukaku scoring a total of 64 goals in all competitions during those two years.

Despite the 29-year-old’s poor form in west London, Conte still believes he was a good signing for Thomas Tuchel’s side.

When speaking to the media ahead of Chelsea’s clash against Spurs on Sunday via the Telegraph, he said: “We are talking about a big amount of money for a player and I think we are talking about a really important striker in the world. 

“But sometimes a situation outside of football happens and I think Romelu lived two years in Milan and he was the king. 

“The fans showed him a lot of passion and I think he’s a guy who needs this. And for this reason, I think he wanted to go back to Milan. But, for sure, the signing was a good signing for Chelsea.

“Then, you know very well there are players that need more time to make an impact. But, for sure, he was a good signing for Chelsea.

“He has the potential to play in the Premier League. I remember very well when he started to play last season, he played really well and you in the media said Lukaku is really strong. 

“A lot of things can happen for the confidence to drop. Now it's right for him to play for an important club in Italy to try to get again confidence in himself. 

Romelu Lukaku has moved back to Inter Milan after one season at Chelsea. (Alamy)

“But we are talking about a really important, a really good striker.”

Both sides are heading into Sunday’s London derby off the back of wins on the opening weekend of the Premier League season.

Chelsea claimed a 1-0 victory away at Everton, while Spurs thumped Southampton 4-1 at home.

However, Tuchel believes that the Blues are currently chasing the north London side due to their efforts in pre-season.

In his pre-match press conference via the Guardian, he admitted: “They took advantage of the situation, which is fair enough.

“Now we try to find solutions to win this game and to be as fast as possible on our highest level. It can also help to have a big match like this early, it lifts you up and gives you a push, which is sometimes needed.

“They took advantage of their situation in that they have a stable club, the ownership was clear, and it was clear that they reached the Champions League and took advantage to reinforce their squad very early. It was very straightforward. 

“They had a calm pre-season. The roads were clear. It seems like they’re a bit ahead of us from the start, out of the blocks, but it does not mean that you win the race just because you win the start.”