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sports Diabierna 13 augustus 2021

Lukaku seals return to Chelsea for club-record $135 million

(AP) - Romelu Lukaku back at this wonderful club,” club has spent big again to
sealed a return to Chel- Lukaku said. ”It’s been a entice Lukaku, who scored
sea on Thursday by mov- long journey for me: I came 47 goals in 72 appearances in
ing from Inter Milan for here as a kid who had a lot to Serie A for Inter in his two
a reported $135 million, a learn, now I’m coming back seasons in Italy. Inter won the
record transfer fee for the with a lot of experience and league last season for the first
European champions that more mature. time since 2010.
made the Belgium striker
the seventh most expen- “The relationship I have with Lukaku joined Inter in 2019
sive player of all time. this club means so much to from Manchester United,
me, as you know. I have sup- having failed to settle at Old
Lukaku is back at the London ported Chelsea as a kid and Trafford after his move from
club where he spent three now to be back and try to Everton two years earlier for
seasons from 2011, though help them win more titles is 75 million pounds (then $97
he was out on loan for two of an amazing feeling.” million).
those years before being sold
for 28 million pounds (now Only Neymar, Kylian With its finances badly hit
$39 million) to Everton. Mbappe, Philippe Coutinho, by the coronavirus pandem-
Joao Felix, Antoine Griez- ic and an early elimination
Now, the 28-year-old strik- mann and Grealish have from the Champions League,
er is one of the world’s best commanded a bigger transfer Inter has been looking to re-
strikers, prompting Chelsea fee than Lukaku. duce its wage bill and make a Didier Drogba. Now he will and the challenge is to try
to buy him back for more large profit in the offseason get that chance at the second to help the team win some
than three times that fee to A striker was regarded as a transfer window after taking attempt. more trophies. I can’t wait
make him the second most priority this offseason for out a loan from an American to get started and to help the
expensive player in Premier Chelsea, which became Eu- investment fund. “The way the club is going club achieve more success.”
League history. England mid- ropean champions without fits my ambitions perfectly
fielder Jack Grealish joined having a regular center for- Lukaku follows right back at 28 and just coming off Chelsea director Marina
Manchester City from Aston ward after Timo Werner un- Achraf Hakimi, who joined winning Serie A,” he said. “I Granovskaia described Lu-
Villa last week for 100 mil- derwhelmed following his Paris Saint-Germain for 60 think this opportunity comes kaku as “quite simply one of
lion pounds ($139 million). move from Leipzig. million euros ($71 million), at the right time and hopeful- the world’s best strikers and
out of the door at Inter. ly we can have a lot of success goalscorers.”
Chelsea didn’t disclose the Werner joined last year as part together.
fee in a statement announc- of Chelsea’s biggest offsea- Lukaku didn’t score in 15 ap- “We are of course looking to
ing the arrival of Lukaku on son spending spree — nearly pearances in his first spell at “Since I left Chelsea, it’s been build on last season’s suc-
a five-year deal. $300 million — since Russian Chelsea, which he joined a a long journey with a lot of cess,” she said, “and Lukaku
owner Roman Abramovich decade ago dreaming of be- ups and downs, but these will play a big role in achiev-
“I’m happy and blessed to be took charge in 2003 and the ing as successful as club great experiences made me strong ing our targets.”

Baltimore Orioles slugger Chris Davis announces retirement

(AP) — Slugger Chris Davis an- A powerful left-handed hitter at
nounced his retirement Thurs- 6-foot-4, Davis was a crucial part
day, ending a career in which he of Baltimore’s best run since the
became one of baseball’s most 1990s. He helped the Orioles reach
prodigious home run hitters the postseason in 2012, 2014 and
before his production declined 2016, although he did not play in
amid injury problems during the playoffs in 2014, when the team
his final seasons with the Balti- made it to the AL Championship
more Orioles. Series.

Davis, 35, was going to miss the Davis was suspended 25 games late
entire 2021 season after surgery in in that 2014 season for testing posi-
May to repair the labrum in his left tive for Adderall, a banned amphet-
hip. amine. He later said he had been
diagnosed with attention deficit
“After an extended time dealing hyperactivity disorder previously
with my injury and recent hip sur- and been given a therapeutic use
gery, I informed the Orioles about exemption for Adderall, but he did
my decision to retire effective to- not have the exemption in 2014.
day,” Davis said in a statement re-
leased by the team. “I want to thank Davis’ free-swinging ways could
the Orioles partnership group, led lead to high home run and strike-
by the Angelos family, the Orioles out totals and low batting averages.
organization, my teammates and He hit .196 with 26 homers in 2014
coaches.” and .221 with 38 homers and a ma-
jor league-leading 219 strikeouts
Next year was the final season of in 2016 — the first year of his big
Davis’ $161 million, seven-year contract.
contract.
After that, his numbers sank quick-
Davis led the majors with 53 home ly, along with the team’s fortunes.
runs in 2013 and 47 in 2015. He He hit .168 in 2018 and went
finishes his career with 295 in 13 through an 0-for-54 streak in 2019.
seasons with the Orioles and Texas Davis hit just .115 over 55 at-bats
Rangers. last year and twice went on the in-
jured list with knee problems.