Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku’s comments about being dissatisfied with life at the club are unhelpful, manager Thomas Tuchel said on Friday, adding that they would discuss matters with the striker behind closed doors.

Lukaku, who joined Chelsea from Italian champions Inter Milan in August, told Sky Italy that he was unhappy with Tuchel’s system while also admitting he would like to return to Italy at some point in his career.

“We don’t like it of course. It brings noise that we don’t need and it’s not helpful,” Tuchel told reporters ahead of Chelsea’s home match against Liverpool on Sunday. “But we don't want to make more out of it than it actually is. It is easy to take lines out of context, shorten lines, make headlines and then realise later that it is not so bad.

“We can take the time to try and understand what is going on because it does not reflect the daily work, attitude and behaviour which Romelu shows here at Cobham. If there is something to discuss it’s behind closed doors, for sure.”

Lukaku also revealed he turned down an offer from Premier League champions Manchester City in 2020 prior to joining Chelsea.