Romelu Lukaku only joined Chelsea for money, Inter Milan CEO Beppe Marotta has claimed.
Lukaku fired Inter to a first Serie A title in 11 years with 24 goals last season but left the club for Chelsea in August for a club-record £97.5million.
According to reports, Lukaku is Chelsea's top earner by a mile, earning £450,000 per week including bonuses and dwarfing the club's next highest earner N'golo Kante, who is on £290,000 per week.
It's a huge increase on the money Lukaku was on at San Siro, where he pocketed £142,000 weekly.
And Inter chief Marotta has no doubt that the huge increase was the reason Lukaku left the Italian champions to return to Stamford Bridge.
'Lukaku left to double his salary, in Italy these figures can't exist,' Marotta told Italian newspaper Il Corriere della Sera.
While Inter cashed in on Lukaku, their financial troubles meant they could not re-invest the money in the squad.
But Marotta feels they found a perfectly good replacement for the Belgian in Edin Dzeko, who joined on a free transfer from Roma.
The former Manchester City hitman has scored six goals in eight Serie A appearances for Inter and was on target in their 3-1 win over Sheriff in the Champions League.
'Lukaku was sold for €115m and we bought Dzeko for free. On the pitch, there isn't much difference,' Marotta added.
Desmondeyum
154
Lukaku faked injury so he won't miss RAW😭
KaranziMuzattGeneral
142
we all work for money
CHELTT
80
THIS ISN'T THE FIRST TIME ON ROM__ ITALIAN CLUB CHIEFS LIKE SAYING BAD THINGS ABOUT THEIR SOLD PLAYERS__ AND IT'S YOU PEOPLE WHO SOLD THE PLAYERS NOT THEMSELVES
whykallar
28
Marotta you are very deceitful, a player that help you win Series A title after 11 years, left you with huge sum of money that could replace him, don't you know he came Inter because of Conte influenced? it's so sad to see you comparing Dzeko with Lukaku, I know is because of his injury you came out to say this, you will need to wait for another decade to win Series A again.