Thomas Tuchel never felt Chelsea had a "huge gap" to Tottenham before seven months in which the clubs appeared to travel in opposite directions.

Chelsea won all four meetings with Spurs in all competitions last season without conceding.

Indeed, the Blues are unbeaten in seven against their London rivals in the Premier League, with Tottenham having won only one of their past 37 trips to Stamford Bridge in all competitions.

Spurs coach Antonio Conte said after a 2-0 Chelsea win in the EFL Cup semi-finals that Tuchel's men were "much stronger than us".

"This game confirmed what I thought about the difference between the teams," he added.

However, since then Tottenham have joined Chelsea in qualifying for the Champions League and enjoyed an excellent transfer window.

Having beaten Southampton 4-1 on the opening day of the season, Conte's side head into the second weekend on top of the table; in 2022, they have earned the third-most points in the division (44) behind Liverpool (52) and Manchester City (46), with Chelsea sixth in that regard (35).

Conte's January comments were put to Tuchel on Friday then, before the teams' latest meeting, and the Chelsea coach was asked to reflect on how the situation had changed.

But Tuchel argued his team had only dominated Spurs due to their commitment and performance in those matches – and he suggested Conte's analysis should be taken with a pinch of salt.

"I never felt a huge gap in preparing these matches," Tuchel said before Sunday's game at Stamford Bridge. "They are close matches, and they are a very competitive and very talented squad.

"I know very well what we invested and to what level we played to beat them four times and not concede a goal against this quality team in an emotional game in London that means for everybody so much.

"This was a huge effort and a big performance from us.

"In general, I don't believe everything Antonio Conte says in games like this, before games and after games.

"I admire him a lot and believe strongly that every team he trains competes for everything, no matter which team it is and what club it is. This is what he proves right now.

"They had maybe the opposite last seven months from us, given the situation.

"Everything was clear; they had something very clear to fight for, they put all the energy in to reach Champions League football and they reached Champions League football.

"Their targets were clear, the set-up in the club was clear, and they took advantage of this situation and had a very aggressive transfer period, a very straightforward and excellent transfer period to strengthen their squad in quality and in depth.

"That's why it's one of the toughest opponents. That's what it is always with Antonio Conte's teams."

Tuchel would not reveal his "secret" to keeping Harry Kane and Son Heung-min quiet, but he openly discussed how a heatwave in the United Kingdom might impact the match.

"It is demanding," he said. "It is more demanding – we see clearly from the data that the same training exercise in a different condition has a very different output and a very different effect on how you feel.

"It is maybe also a matter of how much you want it and how much you accept it.

"It will feel at times maybe very, very difficult and very draining. It is also a question of who has the ability, the will to play through the pain."

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta hopes former captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang receives a "good reception" from Gunners fans if he returns to the Premier League from Barcelona.

Aubameyang was stripped of his captaincy last season before sealing a move to Barca, with further details of how the situation developed coming to light in Amazon's All Or Nothing documentary series.

In the latest episodes, released on Thursday, Arteta took strong action against Aubameyang after he returned late to training following a trip to Paris, setting in motion events that would lead to his departure.

The Amazon cameras also showed Arteta claimed to have record of numerous prior incidents of Aubameyang's indiscipline.

However, the Arsenal manager insisted on Friday he still has positive memories of the forward, who was the subject of much discussion as he emerges as a reported transfer target for rivals Chelsea.

"It's a long time since that happened. I cannot go back each time there is a series. I have made my comments on that," Arteta said of Aubameyang's exit.

"What has been done has to defend the club and put it in the best possible position.

"Auba is an exceptional player. He did so much for us. I hope he gets a good reception [if he comes back], because I think he deserves that."

Chelsea coach Thomas Tuchel worked with Aubameyang previously at Borussia Dortmund and said of claims of his "toxic influence" at Arsenal: "I experienced none of this.

"This has nothing to do with the situation at Arsenal, which I also will not comment about out of respect, because it's not on me to comment. I don't know what happened.

"In Dortmund, there was never an issue."

Thomas Tuchel would have no concerns about Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's attitude but has refused to discuss the possibility of working with the Barcelona striker again at Chelsea.

The Blues have been linked with a move for Aubameyang after Tuchel acknowledged on Friday they "could use" new signings both in attack and defence.

Tuchel offered a firm "no comment" when asked about interest in either Aubameyang or Leicester City centre-back Wesley Fofana, but was willing to reflect on his work with the Barca front man while at Borussia Dortmund.

Aubameyang scored 56 Bundesliga goals in 63 games under Tuchel at BVB. Indeed, for no coach in the top five leagues has Aubameyang scored more goals, registered more goal contributions (63) or netted at a faster rate (94 minutes per goal).

Tuchel still enjoys a close bond with the reported Chelsea target, telling a news conference ahead of Sunday's game against Tottenham: "I enjoyed a lot working with him. It was a pleasure.

"This has nothing to do with the situation now, but some players stay your players, because you were very, very close. Auba was one of these players.

"We had a very close relationship. Always when we played him here with Arsenal, there was always straight away this close bond. They stay your players, in a way, and Auba is one of these guys."

Mikel Arteta did not enjoy quite the same relationship with Aubameyang at Arsenal, with their fallout – which resulted in his January move to Barca – documented in Amazon's recent All or Nothing documentary series.

But Tuchel, quizzed on Aubameyang's "toxic influence", said: "I experienced none of this.

"This has nothing to do with the situation at Arsenal, which I also will not comment about out of respect, because it's not on me to comment. I don't know what happened.

"In Dortmund, there was never an issue."

And Tuchel is not concerned by others' opinions on Aubameyang, adding: "I don't follow the press about Auba. Don't be offended, but I don't follow the press so much.

"I don't know if he has a bad press or a good press – I could not care less. It's not important."

For now, Tuchel's focus is on Sunday's game against Spurs, and he is determined not to be distracted by possible transfer activity.

"We will not panic, and we will not try to sign players of which we are not 100 per cent convinced," he explained. "Our signings so far are fantastic signings and help us.

"To be very honest, it's a day-by-day business now to coach the team which is here and not to lose your head as a coach too much about what could be.

"What sense does it make if I lose my head now in the office and think about the team with players who are not here?

"We are ambitious, and we work hard to maybe strengthen our squad further, but at the same time we are calm, and all the energy and the ambition goes into the group that is here. We have still time."

Julian Nagelsmann has revealed Leroy Sane is unhappy with his lack of game time at Bayern Munich, but the coach sees no reason to change his team following a flying start to the Bundesliga season.

Nagelsmann's side have begun his second season at the helm in stunning fashion, beating RB Leipzig 5-3 in a thrilling DFL-Supercup before racing to a 6-1 win at Eintracht Frankfurt in their Bundesliga opener last week.

Bayern were 5-0 up before half-time as they tore the Europa League winners apart last Friday, the biggest half-time lead a team have ever had in their opening Bundesliga game, while only one side have ever netted more than their six goals on matchday one – also Bayern in an 8-0 thrashing of Schalke in 2020. 

The Bundesliga champions' terrific start was made all the more impressive by the strength of their bench, with Sane and Matthijs de Ligt restricted to roles as second-half substitutes.

Sane, who went on to assist Bayern's sixth goal, has been linked with a move to Manchester United as Serge Gnabry and Sadio Mane start in Nagelsmann's attack, yet the coach is not concerned.

"I don't see any reason to change anything. We're still in the kind phase of the season, so you don't have to make big changes," he told a news conference ahead of Sunday's clash with Wolfsburg.

On Sane, he added: "He is not satisfied that he does not start. Others are doing better, like Jamal Musiala recently. 

"He needs to impose himself in training. He handles it well."

Mane has quickly made his mark, scoring 29 minutes into his Bundesliga debut and finishing the first weekend with the joint-most sprints (39) across the division, showing his seamless adaptation to Bayern's high-energy approach.

"He's very humble, an extreme team player who lets others shine," Nagelsmann said of the former Liverpool forward. "When dealing with him, you don't realise that he's a superstar. That makes it comfortable with him."

Meanwhile, Leon Goretzka has missed out entirely for Bayern so far this season, having undergone knee surgery ahead of a pre-season tour of the United States in July.

The Germany midfielder only made 19 Bundesliga appearances during a troubled 2021-22 campaign, but Nagelsmann revealed his recovery is progressing nicely.

"He's done some running but will need a bit longer before he can join team training," Nagelsmann said. 

"I will give him all the time he needs. The knee hasn't reacted badly at all, and the healing process is going better than we'd expected."

Tyson Fury has conducted another U-turn on his boxing future, announcing his retirement on social media just two days after appearing to confirm plans for a return to the ring.

On Tuesday, Fury revealed he had appointed a new trainer and urged Derek Chisora to accept an offer for a trilogy fight during a series of Instagram posts.

But on his 34th birthday, the WBC heavyweight champion announced plans to exit the sport.

"Massive thanks to everyone who had an input in my career over the years," he wrote on Instagram on Friday.

"After long, hard conversations I've finally decided to walk away and on my 34th birthday I say bon voyage."

Fury originally announced he would leave the sport following a sixth-round knockout of Dillian Whyte at Wembley Stadium in April, and has won 32 of his 33 professional bouts, registering one draw against Deontay Wilder in 2018.

Tyson Fury has conducted another U-turn on his boxing future, announcing his retirement on social media just three days after appearing to confirm plans for a return to the ring.

On Tuesday, Fury revealed he had appointed a new trainer and urged Derek Chisora to accept an offer for a trilogy fight during a series of Instagram posts.

But on his 34th birthday, the WBC heavyweight champion announced plans to exit the sport.

"Massive thanks to everyone who had an input in my career over the years," he wrote on Instagram on Friday.

"After long, hard conversations I've finally decided to walk away and on my 34th birthday I say bon voyage."

Fury originally announced he would leave the sport following a sixth-round knockout of Dillian Whyte at Wembley Stadium in April, and has won 32 of his 33 professional bouts, registering one draw against Deontay Wilder in 2018.

Barcelona have activated a fourth economic lever in a bid to ensure their new signings can be registered for LaLiga, announcing the sale of a further 24.5 per cent of their production company for €100million.

The Catalan giants, who have signed the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Jules Kounde, Andreas Christensen and Franck Kessie despite ongoing financial troubles, have reportedly failed to register their new acquisitions for the upcoming league campaign.

President Joan Laporta has been working to raise funds to allow Barca to meet LaLiga's salary limits ahead of the season, and said last week the club had made a "great effort" to do so. 

Last month, 24.5 per cent of Barca Studios was sold to the company Socios.com for €100million, while the Blaugrana have also sold 10 per cent of their LaLiga broadcasting rights to American investment firm Sixth Street, among other measures.

But with reports suggesting the club were still struggling to meet LaLiga's rules, they have announced a second deal for an equivalent stake in Barca Studios.

"FC Barcelona announces the sale of 24.5 per cent of Barca Studios to the company Orpheus Media, managed by Mr Jaume Roures, an audiovisual production company with a long history of producing content, for 100 million euros," read a club statement.

"The agreement complements the one signed on 29 July with Socios.com and will help to accelerate the growth of the club's digital, NFT and Web.3 strategy.

"With this investment the strategic partners in Barca Studios show confidence in the value of the project and the future of digital content in the world of sport."

Reports suggest that while Barca are prioritising the registration of their new signings, they are still eyeing a move for Chelsea's Marcos Alonso, while Manchester City's Bernardo Silva has been touted as another target.

Barca begin their LaLiga campaign when they host Rayo Vallecano on Saturday, though it remains to be seen how many of their new stars can feature.

Barcelona have activated a fourth economic lever in a bid to ensure their new signings can be registered for LaLiga, announcing the sale of a further 24.5 per cent of their production company for €100million.

The Catalan giants, who have signed the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Jules Kounde, Andreas Christensen and Franck Kessie despite ongoing financial troubles, have reportedly failed to register their new acquisitions for the upcoming league campaign.

President Joan Laporta has been working to raise funds to allow Barca to meet LaLiga's salary limits ahead of the season, and said last week the club had made a "great effort" to do so. 

Last month, 24.5 per cent of Barca Studios was sold to the company Socios.com for €100million, while the Blaugrana have also sold 10 per cent of their LaLiga broadcasting rights to American investment firm Sixth Street, among other measures.

But with reports suggesting the club were still struggling to meet LaLiga's rules, they have announced a second deal for an equivalent stake in Barca Studios.

"FC Barcelona announces the sale of 24.5 per cent of Barca Studios to the company Orpheus Media, managed by Mr Jaume Roures, an audiovisual production company with a long history of producing content, for 100 million euros," read a club statement.

"The agreement complements the one signed on 29 July with Socios.com and will help to accelerate the growth of the club's digital, NFT and Web.3 strategy.

"With this investment the strategic partners in Barca Studios show confidence in the value of the project and the future of digital content in the world of sport."

Reports suggest that while Barca are prioritising the registration of their new signings, they are still eyeing a move for Chelsea's Marcos Alonso, while Manchester City's Bernardo Silva has been touted as another target.

Barca begin their LaLiga campaign when they host Rayo Vallecano on Saturday, though it remains to be seen how many of their new stars can feature.

Jurgen Klopp dismissed the idea that Liverpool were set to benefit from favourable fixture scheduling as clubs across the United Kingdom prepare to contend with soaring temperatures.

While the rest of the Premier League will battle it out in stifling heat over the weekend, Klopp's team will host Crystal Palace in far cooler conditions on Monday night.

The Reds boss conceded it was preferable to play in the evening, but underlined the fact that Palace have the same comfort.

"It's much better to play at nighttime than at these other times, but for Crystal Palace it's the same advantage," he said.

"It's much more comfortable to play, of course, but it shouldn't be a comfortable game. It should be really busy."

When it was subsequently suggested his side had gained an advantage courtesy of the scheduling, an irritated Klopp replied: "This is what you take out of my answer, that we were helped by the fixture list?

"It's fortunate for both teams, it makes it a fair competition again. If we only had to play at night and Crystal Palace had to play in the heat, at 30 degrees or whatever, that would be a real advantage.

"But it's just a game at night."

Liverpool will be seeking to bounce back from a disappointing opening-game draw at Fulham, which put them immediately on the back foot in what is likely to be another two-horse race for the title, with Manchester City seizing the early initiative.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has expressed doubt that the club will sign a new midfielder before the close of the transfer window, though he hinted it was something he had previously considered.

The Reds' push for the Premier League title got off to a slow start on the opening weekend as they had to come from behind twice in a 2-2 draw against newly promoted Fulham.

Thiago Alcantara limped off during that game, joining fellow midfielders Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain on the sidelines – though Klopp revealed that Keita will return for Monday's trip to Crystal Palace.

With options limited, recent reports have linked Liverpool with Sporting midfielder Matheus Nunes, while the Reds have been attributed with long-term interest in Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham.

Further additions in the market are unlikely, however, with Klopp stating that "conversations" have already taken place and that the "right solutions" are not available.

"I'm happy with the size and quality of my squad, but we have injuries. It's a question of how long the players will be out, there are different solutions for it," he told a news conference.

"One of them is the transfer market, but it only makes sense if you can bring in the right player, not just a player, if it was the right player it would make sense.

"But we actually would have done that from the first day of the transfer window, from the first day of the pre-season, in some cases it's just not possible and in other cases it's extremely difficult. If something is not possible, why should I consider it?

"All of the other solutions are inside the squad. At the moment, we have too many injuries, that's clear. We have a couple of boys coming back, Naby will be back for Monday and Kostas [Tsimikas] will train today for the first time, so he might be back as well.

"That's the situation. I understand the questions but if there were the right solutions, we would have done it already. We're not stubborn or whatever, it's just that it's not the right thing to do.

"People told me at the start of the season that we lack a specific kind of midfielder, I didn't understand that because if you search for specific things, then you always lack something. 

"If there was the right player and if there was the opportunity, then we would have done it, we would do it, but I don't see it because we've had a lot of conversations already and it doesn't look like something that will happen."

As their Serie A rivals attempt to turn back time, champions Milan are looking to the future.

Romelu Lukaku, Inter's 2020-21 Scudetto hero, and Paul Pogba, the winner of four straight championships at Juventus, have returned to their former clubs following ultimately unsuccessful Premier League stints.

Of course, this is a move that worked for Milan last season, as Zlatan Ibrahimovic had played for three different clubs in three different countries between featuring in the Rossoneri's two most recent title-winning campaigns.

Ibrahimovic, soon to turn 41, has signed up for another season, but there is a young, exciting core to the Milan team who secured that latest title and will now bid to defend it.

Young stars repay Pioli's faith

Milan had the fourth-youngest average age of their starters in Serie A last season (25y 337d), older only than Empoli (24y 325d), Spezia (24y 334d) and Torino (25y 189d).

And this average was dragged up significantly by Ibrahimovic and Olivier Giroud.

Among the 10 outfield players to start 20 or more league games for Milan in 2021-22, nine were below that average age at the end of the season, with Giroud (35y 233d) the exception.

Giroud scored 11 goals, including two the day the Rossoneri won the title at Sassuolo, but even he made only 22 starts as Stefano Pioli showed faith in his young charges.

Pierre Kalulu (21 starts) was 21 on the final day; Rafael Leao (31 starts), Sandro Tonali (31 starts), Brahim Diaz (25 starts) and Alexis Saelemaekers (22 starts) were all 22; Theo Hernandez (30 starts) and Fikayo Tomori (30 starts) were both 24; and the now departed Franck Kessie (25 starts) was 25, along with Davide Calabria (24 starts).

Of those, only Diaz was not in the XI at Sassuolo, with the 28-year-old Rade Krunic preferred.

That this young Milan side held their nerve on that day – needing to avoid defeat to ensure they could not be pipped at the post by Inter – justified Pioli's approach, and the club have seemingly sought to get even younger ahead of their title defence.

Milan boosted by Belgium pair

Realistically, given the financial power of other clubs across Europe, Milan have had little choice but to pay for potential rather than proven performers.

Yet their early moves in this close season sought to find a blend of the two, as Milan honed in on two stars of Lille's shock 2020-21 Ligue 1 title success.

Centre-back Sven Botman, only 22, was a favourite of Paolo Maldini, while Renato Sanches, 24, appeared a good fit for a midfield set to be robbed of Kessie following his move to Barcelona as a free agent.

Unfortunately, Newcastle United and Paris Saint-Germain – backed by Saudi Arabia's PIF and Qatar's QSI respectively – outmuscled Milan in both cases.

Instead, Kalulu could be set to start again alongside Tomori, and Tommaso Pobega, returning from a loan at Torino and now 23, is a likely replacement for Kessie.

Milan have preferred to focus their limited budget on the attack, successfully holding off rival interest to sign Charles De Ketelaere.

The Belgium international, who turned 21 in March, contributed 14 goals and nine assists in 39 First Division A matches for Club Brugge last term.

De Ketelaere was the second-youngest player in the Belgian top flight to tally at least five goals and five assists for the season – after Anderlecht's Bayern Munich loanee Joshua Zirkzee (16 goals, nine assists).

He will now link up with Leao (11 goals, eight assists), who was the second-youngest to achieve that feat in Serie A in 2021-22 – after Sassuolo's Giacomo Raspadori (10 goals, five assists).

Even De Ketelaere's Belgium team-mate Divock Origi – another new forward signing, set to become Milan's latest experienced option up front – is only 27.

Still young, now experienced

The signing of Origi, an elder statesman in the Milan dressing room, would actually have made Serie A rivals Juventus (27y 319d) and Inter (29y 73d) younger.

Indeed, Inter were the third-oldest team in Serie A last season – after Sampdoria (29y 212d) and Lazio (29y 217d) – with their squad already in need of regeneration a year after winning the Scudetto.

There is no danger of Milan being in the same position, with their young side getting younger and extending their window in which they can expect to contend for further titles.

The Rossoneri were comfortably the youngest champions across Europe's top five leagues last season, with Champions League victors Real Madrid (28y 95d) the oldest.

Milan's title winners will undoubtedly benefit from their 2021-22 experiences, too.

Leao (85), Tonali (60), Diaz (47), Saelemaekers (45), Tomori (34) and Kalulu (13) had each played comfortably fewer than 100 games in Europe's top five leagues heading into the previous campaign. Kalulu had tallied a mere 727 minutes prior to his breakout year.

In the Champions League, they were even greener. Besides Giroud, who had played 41 games and started 25, those nine other Serie A regulars had made just 11 combined appearances and five combined starts in Europe's elite club competition up to that point.

Milan's European campaign did not pan out as they would have hoped, losing their first three group stage matches and finishing bottom of the table in a punishing pool, but there was a dramatic away win at Atletico Madrid, and the Rossoneri twice took the game to eventual finalists Liverpool.

There may be departures along the way – and Milan will hope to receive a fee, unlike in Kessie's case – but this team should continue to grow together.

If Milan's players progress as they have done so far, there will be plenty more title challenges – and perhaps even a tilt at an eighth European crown soon enough.

Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhaes is confident Gabriel Jesus and William Saliba can provide a huge boost to the team, and explained how he is helping both to settle.

The Gunners signed Jesus from Manchester City to fill an attacking void left by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's exit in January and Alexandre Lacazette's move to Lyon following the expiration of his contract at the Emirates Stadium.

Jesus was on fire in pre-season, hitting seven goals including a hat-trick in the demolition of Sevilla, and made his Premier League debut for Mikel Arteta's side in last week's 2-0 victory over Crystal Palace.

While the Brazilian was not on the scoresheet, his pressing from the front caught the eye and defender Gabriel has revealed he may have had a small part to play in Jesus' move to north London.

"Gabriel [Jesus] is a really good guy. Of course, it helps that we have the Brazilian link," he told Sky Sports.

"When we were on international duty, we discussed his future and I was telling him, 'Come to Arsenal! Come to Arsenal!' Maybe I had a bit of an influence there."

"He is someone who is very focused and really enjoys working hard. He is here to improve the team and he is already doing that. 

"He has come here with big expectations. He wants to achieve big things with Arsenal. I think he is really going to help us."

In the win against Palace, Gabriel had a new partner at the heart of defence in the form of Saliba, who was making his competitive debut for the Gunners three years after he was signed from Saint-Etienne.

The France international earned an abundance of praise following his performance, including being compared by Gary Neville to a young Rio Ferdinand, and Gabriel believes they can forge a strong relationship on the field.

"He's a young player who came here at a very young age and then went out to get some experience," he added.

"Now, despite his age, he is already playing for the French national team. That tells you how good he is. He's here to help the team and he's a very promising talent.

"He is a good friend of mine already. We speak French together, so that helps. He has added a lot of quality to the team and I think he has a brilliant future ahead of him.

"I have been here for two years now, so I do have experience that I can use to help him.

"But at the same time, he can help me. He has a lot of quality and a lot of physical strength out on the pitch. We have similar qualities. I think we complement each other well."

For the second consecutive year, Romelu Lukaku is returning to a former club. This time around, there is greater confidence he will be a success.

Lukaku's second attempt to forge a career at Chelsea proved as frustrating as his first.

Underused at Stamford Bridge as a young player before departing for Everton, Lukaku would argue he was misused last season.

The unstoppable force who had fired Inter to the 2020-21 Serie A title was gone, with the Belgium forward looking a little lost in Thomas Tuchel's system.

Now, though, Lukaku is back at Inter. Antonio Conte may no longer be at San Siro, but Lautaro Martinez, Lukaku's former strike partner, crucially still is.

The main man in Lukaku's absence, Martinez improved his goal output from 17 in 2020-21 to 21 last season, albeit that tally was still only enough to finish third in the Capocannoniere race.

Lukaku had been second the year before with 24, beaten by Cristiano Ronaldo, but his focus in returning to Italy is again on team success, with Inter having just lost the Scudetto to Milan.

"I don't care about the top scorers' ranking, I tell you honestly," Lukaku told DAZN ahead of the new season. "I only think of the Scudetto.

"Yes, the goals come, but we are at Inter, here we play for the Scudetto and not for individual things."

Succeeding as a team means playing as a team, and Lukaku and Martinez undoubtedly did that in 2020-21.

The pair created a combined 29 chances for one another, with eight of those leading to goals. That goal-assist combination made Lukaku and Martinez the most effective partnership in the division, ahead of Ruslan Malinovskyi and Duvan Zapata at Atalanta (seven goals).

The five goals Lukaku laid on for Martinez contributed to his 11 assists for the season, trailing only Malinovskyi (12) in that regard.

Indeed, since Opta's Serie A assist data began in 2004-05, Lukaku is the only player to score 20 or more goals and provide 10 or more assists in the same season.

Lukaku's inability to contribute a single assist in the Premier League last term therefore illustrates how spectacularly Chelsea failed to get the best out of him. Netting just eight times himself, he failed to link up with any Blues team-mate for more than a single goal.

That is not to say Lukaku and Martinez clicked instantly at Inter; in the former's first season in Italy, in 2019-20, he scored 23 goals but assisted only two. One of those two assists saw Lukaku tee up Martinez, but the Argentina forward did not return the favour even once.

In 2020-21, unlike at Chelsea, Lukaku was able to make the most of his best attributes for the benefit of both himself and his team-mate.

Rather than consider Lukaku a target man, Conte allowed his number nine to turn and run with the ball, with five of his assists coming following ball carries – along with four of his goals. Only Luis Muriel (12), another Atalanta player, contributed to more Serie A goals following carries than Lukaku's nine.

None of his eight Chelsea goals came following carries as he recorded only 4.4 carries per 90 minutes, down from 7.7 at Inter.

With Simone Inzaghi still using the same 3-5-2 formation that suited Lukaku so well, he and Inter will hope his reintegration now is seamless.

There remain other issues at the Nerazzurri, and goals were not necessarily the biggest problem Inzaghi's side had last term; they scored just five fewer than the previous season and led the league in that regard.

With three fewer victories than in their title-winning campaign, Inter finished two points shy of rivals Milan.

Yet Lukaku either scored or assisted in 22 of Inter's 38 games in 2020-21 and in 20 of their 28 wins – both league highs that show how vital his contributions can be.

The Nerazzurri will now head into the new season feeling confident they have re-signed the one man most likely to dominate Serie A matches on his own... or with a partner.