Revealed: Lukaku rejected Man City a year before Chelsea return

Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku says he turned down a lucrative offer from Manchester City 12 months before his £98m departure from Inter Milan.

The Belgian striker, who caused a storm in the same interview by saying he is not happy with his situation at Stamford Bridge, suggested he could have returned to the Premier League earlier than he did, and with Chelsea's title rivals too.

Lukaku said City offered him a larger salary than his current £212,000-a-week deal at Chelsea.

He told Sky Italia: "After the first year, I turned down an offer from Manchester City that was higher than Chelsea's current one, because I didn't want to (move).

"It was not the time, it was the first year and I wanted to do something good for Inter because they saved my career.

"I was in a tunnel at Manchester United. I was a big investment for Inter and we did great things together."

Lukaku added: "I think everything that happened last summer was not supposed to happen like this... how I left Inter, the way I left the club, how I communicated with Inter fans - this bothers me because it was not the right time.

"Now it's the right time to share my feelings. I have always said that I have Inter in my heart: I know I will return to Inter, I really hope so. I am in love with Italy, this is right moment to talk and let people know what really happened.

"I really hope from bottom of my heart to return to Inter not at the end of my career, but when I'm still at top level to win more together.

"I want apologise to the Inter fans, the timing of my words was wrong: what you did for me will remain forever."