What really happened to Romelu Lukaku?

It happened again. Again. One more time. The Belgian striker returns to leave Chelsea with more sorrow than glory, with months of controversy, of totally secondary prominence, disappointing and that again brings out his greatest ballast as a footballer.

First, Chelsea. His past had not been positive as a Professional player. Never. In none of his previous three brief stages that ended in loans to other teams. However, now he arrived shining, shining very strongly, being considered one of the best strikers in the world, after a resounding stage at Inter Milan.

Secondly, in the Premier League, despite his good performance in the ranks of Everton, it is true that neither at Chelsea, West Bromwich Albion or Manchester United he triumphed and made the difference as he did later in Italy.

Neither at Chelsea, nor in general terms in English football.

At Stamford Bridge he has shown again that something is happening, that a factor is happening that escapes any kind of logic. Lukaku was one of the most decisive strikers on the planet, he arrived being considered an absolute and total success. But no. Nothing at all. Except for an explosive (re)debut in the London derby against Arsenal, his sporting course has been poor.

His season has not met expectations (despite being one of the team's top scorers) and has been covered in controversy for some premature statements in which, almost by surprise, he confessed to wanting to return to Inter Milan. Many months before the end of the season, with many matches to be played.

That interview marked his dynamic, his day to day, his new stage in London and his future. Thomas Tüchel did not run publicly against it, but with his decisions. Lukaku became a substitute, he lost his status as a starter, as indispensable, as untouchable. And that could only be manufacturing the outcome that has happened this summer: his goodbye.

What really happened to Romelu Lukaku? Something that was beating, that was present, that was known, but that we all wildly wished did not happen. We knew his past in the British Isles. We knew, above all, that he had never succeeded at Chelsea. But, despite this, despite everything, we wanted to hold on to the epic, to what we wanted above reality. We wanted to believe that the fiery, latent, devastating Lukaku, considered one of the most decisive on the planet, would continue to sign his performance offered in Serie A.

But no. Reality returned to greet subtly, from the first moment, despite the fact that no one wanted to see it. Lukaku is leaving Chelsea again, he is doing it again through the back door, he is signing again a goodbye full of disappointments and unfulfilled expectations.