Romelu Lukaku returned to Chelsea on Thursday for a reported club record fee of £97 million ($135 million) from Inter, seven years after his first spell at Stamford Bridge came to an end.

The Belgian striker was instrumental in securing Inter’s first Serie A title for 11 years last season, but the Italian giants financial problems forced them into selling their prized asset to the Premier League side.

“I’m happy and blessed to be back at this wonderful club,” said Lukaku, who has signed a five-year contract. “It’s been a long journey for me: I came here as a kid who had a lot to learn, now I’m coming back with a lot of experience and more mature.

“The way the club is going fits my ambitions perfectly at 28 and just coming off winning Serie A. I think this opportunity comes at the right time and hopefully we can have a lot of success together.”

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