Exactly 10 years ago, Romelu Lukaku, then a raw 17-year-old, swapped Belgian outfit Anderlecht for English giants Chelsea in a dream overseas move. The promising talent earned the chance to play with his boyhood idol Didier Drogba and share the same dressing room. Everything seemed perfect in the beginning, but unfortunately, the stars didn't align for the young striker.  

Lukaku made only 15 appearances for Chelsea in three seasons, scoring just one goal. He was soon loaned out to West Brom and Everton before being sold to the Toffees in 2014. After a marked improvement in his finishing skills and tactical maturity, Lukaku almost rejoined Chelsea in 2017, but a glib-tongued Jose Mourinho lured him to Manchester United, where he netted 42 goals in 96 games.  

Despite a brilliant scoring record, it still didn't work out in Old Trafford and Lukaku enjoyed his best form after joining Inter Milan in a much-anticipated deal. Across his two seasons in Italy, he scored 64 goals in 95 appearances and helped the Nerazzurri clinch their first league title since 2010.  

Having witnessed Lukaku's stunning progress in Serie A and cash-strapped Inter's financial vulnerability, Chelsea finally felt an unquenchable urge to dig deep into their pockets and made a heavyweight move for Lukaku.

On Thursday night, it happened. 

After rounds of intense negotiations and trade-offs, Chelsea announced that they had signed Lukaku from Inter on a contract to 2026. According to multiple British media outlets, the Blues have paid a club record £97 million ($135 million) for the striker, who will earn up to £450,000-a-week after bonuses. 

The fee is just short of the British transfer record of £100 million paid by Man City for Jack Grealish earlier this month, but Lukaku has become football's most expensive player in cumulative transfer fees at £289 million. 

"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," Lukaku told Chelsea's website after completing the move. "I have supported Chelsea as a kid and now to be back and try to help them win more titles is an amazing feeling.  

"Since I left Chelsea, it's been a long journey with a lot of ups and downs, but these experiences made me strong and the challenge is to try to help the team win some more trophies.

"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." 

Chelsea were constantly frustrated by their lack of a prolific striker last season, and Lukaku's arrival could potentially solve their biggest problem. 

"Lukaku is quite simply one of the world's best strikers and goalscorers," said Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia. "We are absolutely delighted to be bringing him back to the club he loves, and are excited to be adding his talent to our Champions League-winning squad. 

"We are of course looking to build on last season's success, and Lukaku will play a big role in achieving our targets."  

Now for Lukaku, a new journey awaits, and Chelsea are ready to fire on all cylinders.