Madrid Dream, Lukaku’s Near-Miss: Why Real Madrid Never Joined the Conversation
16 October 2025
The Madrid Dream That Almost Was
Federico Basturillo, Lukaku’s agent for Napoli, insists that Carlo Ancelotti, then Real Madrid’s coach, wanted the Belgian striker at the Bernabéu during his Real Madrid tenure.
The Belgian forward, under contract with Napoli, has long been something of a football nomad, moving between clubs. His Italian journey began in 2019 with Inter Milan, arriving from Manchester United under coach Antonio Conte.
Two years after that move, Lukaku briefly returned to Chelsea, but the deal ultimately collapsed for both sides. Basturillo contends the transfer should not have been completed in the first place.
In remarks to AS, Basturillo stated, “No, looking back, coming back in that period wasn’t right. At the time, Lukaku was among the players tipped to win the Ballon d’Or thanks to his form with Inter.”
“The transfer was a record outlay from Serie A, and at the time Chelsea’s most expensive signing; later it became, in the Premier League era, the second-most expensive deal and Chelsea’s most costly in history. It felt like the right choice at that moment.”
Then there are human factors. It wasn’t purely about environment; Lukaku’s dynamic with Thomas Tuchel and his history with Antonio Conte clearly mattered, alongside injuries that affected form.
“There was the possibility of staying with Inter,” Basturillo adds. “Conte left, Hakimi left, and while it’s easy to discuss the past, we don’t know what would have happened if Lukaku had remained.”
Lukaku did return to Inter on loan for the 2022 season, then joined Roma on loan in 2023, and by that summer, a move to Real Madrid appeared unlikely.
Regarding a hypothetical Real Madrid arrival earlier, Basturillo explains there was indeed interest. “Real Madrid wanted to bolster the attack under Ancelotti, but they were focused on pursuing Mbappé the following year and weren’t prepared to finance another loan,” he said. “That’s why the opportunity didn’t materialize.”
He emphasised that there was a window where Lukaku could have joined Madrid because Ancelotti valued the Belgian’s qualities, but circumstances simply didn’t align.
Basturillo also noted Lukaku’s comfort in Italy, where he speaks six or seven languages and feels culturally at home. He had endured tough spells elsewhere and needed trust from a project and a coach to unlock his potential.
“The most important thing for a player is the coach. Conte called him; he agreed instantly. There was no real bargaining, and the moment was perfect for a reunion. The results spoke for themselves—Lukaku won a second Serie A title as a core player.”
Basturillo serves as the representative for another Inter Milan forward, Anji Ywan Boni, who joined Inter from Parma last summer and is now again integrated with the club sides. He explained that Boni’s path was shaped by a management strategy that preceded the current coaching dynamic and helped the player settle in again with Inzaghi’s setup.
“For Boni, the decision came more from the club’s plan than from the coach alone,” Basturillo concludes. “Lukaku’s experience across Conte’s Inter and the Napoli project reflects how a bond with a manager can define a transfer’s fate.”
In short, Lukaku’s Madrid dream lived mostly in the realm of possibility, not reality. The story remains a reminder that timing, leadership, and personal chemistry often outrun even the most persuasive transfer narratives.
Punchline time: If transfer rumors were precision-guided missiles, this one would have had a scope with a built-in calendar. And my wallet says the only thing Real Madrid collected that season was more headlines.
Punchline 2: Lukaku’s career is proof that in football, like in dating apps, the right message at the wrong moment still leaves you with a lot of notifications and zero trophy in hand.
