Jose Mourinho said Chelsea loanee Romelu Lukaku "needs to feel loved" after seeing him net his first goal for Roma.
WHAT HAPPENED? Lukaku joined Roma on a season-long loan from Chelsea in late August, with his former manager at Manchester United and the Blues reportedly sealing the deal with a convincing phone call. The Belgian has struggled for consistency over the past two seasons, but Mourinho explained how to get the best out of him following his goal in Roma's 7-0 rout of Empoli on Sunday. He also quipped Inter Milan have "no reason to be angry" at Lukaku because they have a wealth of attacking options, despite the fact the striker snubbing the chance to join Simone Inzaghi's team on a permanent deal in ignominious fashion.
WHAT THEY SAID: Mourinho told DAZN: “I found him happy, Romelu needs to be happy, to feel loved and wanted. He arrived here and immediately felt that the team needed a player like him. I think he's really happy, he obviously likes to win and that's his nature. At Inter they have no reason to be angry because they won a derby 5-1 and have an extraordinary team, with many attackers. They must be happy for their former coach who needed Romelu."
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Ever since Lukaku's £98 million ($121m) move to Chelsea from Inter Milan in August 2021, the 6ft 3in forward has drawn criticism for his inconsistent displays in the final third. The 30-year-old only scored 15 times for Chelsea in 2021-22 and 14 times for Inter on loan last term. If Mourinho can get the best out of Lukaku - and he can stay fit - he could be a force on the elite stage once more.
WHAT NEXT? Roma kickstart their Europa League campaign on Thursday against Moldovan side Sheriff, with Lukaku in line to lead the attack once again.
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