Soccer

Romelu Lukaku lands in Italy as he prepares to join Roma

Romelu Lukaku is given a hero’s welcome by fans in Rome as the Belgian lands in the Italian capital ahead of £5m loan from Chelsea… with Jose Mourinho set to reunite with the former Man United striker

  • Romelu Lukaku has landed in Italy to complete his move to join Roma
  • The Belgian will sign a season-long loan deal after Chelsea accepted loan terms
  • Would Mohamed Salah ‘do the dirty’ on Liverpool by leaving? And what about Man United ‘diving’?: Listen to It’s All Kicking Off, Mail Sport’s new podcast

Romelu Lukaku has landed in Italy as he prepares to complete a season-long loan move to join Serie A giants Roma.

The Belgian is set to put pen-to-paper in the Italian capital after Chelsea accepted a £5m loan offer for the striker.

Lukaku will be reunited with Roma manager Jose Mourinho after the pair previously worked together during spells at Stamford Bridge and Manchester United.

There is expectation on the 30-year-old to rediscover his best form after a difficult 12 months that saw him struggle to cement a starting berth at Inter Milan last season and fail to find the net in the Qatar World Cup.

Lukaku touched down via private jet at Rome’s Ciampino airport on Tuesday afternoon and was met by eager supporters anticipating his arrival.

Romelu Lukaku has landed in Rome to complete his move to join Serie A side Roma

Lukaku was closely escorted by security, Roma representatives and police after landing in the city

Crowds of Roma supporters eagerly waited to welcome Lukaku to the capital city

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Dressed in a black top and black trousers, the forward waved to fans as they cheered while he began to walk down the steps of the jet and onto the turf.

There were load roars from the crowd as he stepped out at the city’s second airport as he waved, touched his chest and continued to show his appreciation for the welcome.

A beaming Lukaku further interacted with fans as he walked through outdoor gated areas of the airport while being followed by security and Roma representatives.

Footage shows him smiling and giving a thumbs up to fans who are shouting his name in a bid to get the striker’s attention.

The wantaway Chelsea star also raised a Roma scarf above his head as he showed off his new club colours. 

Roma manager Jose Mourinho (pictured) is set to be reunited with Lukaku after the pair previously worked together

Lukaku raised a Roma scarf above his head while being escorted through the airport

Lukaku is no stranger to Italian football after previous spells at Inter Milan that saw him lift the Serie A title while working under Antonio Conte two years ago.

A stellar campaign that season saw him score 30 goals in all competitions for Inter as they stormed to the league title.

Chelsea had been intent on selling Lukaku this summer, until the Belgian turned down a move to Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia, and turned down moves to Inter and Juventus.

Inter had offered £23m and £26m for a permanent deal before pulling out after discovering that Lukaku had been talking to Juventus. 

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