Inter close to spoiling Crisitiano Ronaldo’s Serie A title dream thanks to Man United and Chelsea, Romelu Lukaku goals, a rejuvenated Christian Eriksen and master tactician Antonio Conte

It’s been a stunning season for Inter and the Nerazurri are on the cusp of winning their first title in more than a decade.

Antonio Conte’s men, spearheaded by the infallible Romelu Lukaku, are storming to the Serie A crown as they lead fierce rivals Milan by 11 points with nine matches remaining.

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Lukaku is leading the charge and is making light work of Italian football having scored 21 goals in 28 appearances this term.

The Belgian has less goals than Cristiano Ronaldo (25) but he will not care one bit as his side are on the verge of putting an end to Juventus’ extraordinary nine-title winning streak.

Make no mistake, Lukaku has not been the only factor to Inter’s success.

There has been a host of reasons as to why Inter are storming to the league title and talkSPORT.com has identified those as they close in on the biggest prize in Italian football…

Conte’s Chelsea dismissal

Like so many managers during the Roman Abramovich era, Conte was dismissed.

The Italian guided the Blues to Premier League title in his first season in charge – an astonishing achievement given Chelsea finished tenth the season prior to his arrival in 2016.

He also won an FA Cup the following season but was dismissed over disagreements over transfers, with one of those ironically being the club’s failure to bring his top target Lukaku.

Alvaro Morata was signed for £70million instead of Lukaku, who opted for Jose Mourinho’s Man United.

Conte’s sacking in 2018, though, paved the way for him to join Inter in 2019 and it is no surprise he and Lukaku are thriving together in San Siro.

It also begs the question, could Chelsea have won another title if Abramovich granted Conte his wish and gone all out for the Belgian?

A trio of Man United players

Lukaku has been a revelation ever since he stepped foot in Serie A.

The Belgium striker has a staggering 61 goals in 87 appearances for the club since joining for a £70m fee.

talkSPORT’s Jason Cundy recently revealed the admiration his improvement in Italy has given him.

“He’s improved to no end,” he told the Sports Bar amid his links to Man City and Chelsea. “What he’s got is phenomenal. I’m looking at his goal-scoring record now and it is one in two pretty much at every single club he has been at.”

However, Lukaku is not the only so-called Man United ‘reject’ to blossom under Conte’s stewardship.

Matteo Darmian and Ashley Young are also having solid seasons and have been hugely versatile members of Conte’s squad this term.

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Young, who had fallen out of favour at United, had pushed for the move to the San Siro after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer promoted teenager Brandon Williams to left-back ahead of him.

The Englishman has turned out 54 times for Inter, scoring four goals, as well as chipping in with seven assists and for a man that is predominantly played in a defensive role, those are very respectable stats.

Darmian has also been useful for Conte, filling in at centre-back in recent matches due to injury problems at the back.

A rejuvenated Christian Eriksen

Eriksen had a torrid first year at the San Siro but he has bounced back impressively and is now one of Conte’s most important players.

After struggling to adapt to Italian football, the Dane was strongly linked with a return to the Premier League, with both Arsenal and former club Spurs reportedly expressing interest.

But Conte, like he has done with so many players during his illustrious managerial career, has breathed a new lease of life into the playmaker by making an astute tactical decision.

Eriksen has carved out an important role for himself as a deep lying midfielder in the tactician’s setup and is adapting to his new role with aplomb.

Roaming dangerously between the lines behind Romelu Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez, he is always looking to combine with Inter’s frontmen and has since formed one of the league’s most potent attacks.

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Italy legend Antonio Cassano recently likened his new position to the way Conte used Andrea Pirlo during Conte’s Juventus days.

“We are talking about a great champion,” he told Bobo TV. “He just needed confidence. It’s not that he learned how to play football today.

“Conte is changing his mind, I hope he can give him continuity to gain confidence.

“Eriksen is a less strong [Luka] Modric, but the Croatian wouldn’t play for Conte, since he doesn’t defend.

“I always remember Pirlo. Conte’s idea of Juventus wasn’t with Pirlo. Conte then found Pirlo, with some pushes from old and current players. He invented the 3-5-2 and won everything.”

The importance of a former Chelsea target

Chelsea were believed to be very close to signing Nico Barella but it was who Inter snapped him up on loan in 2019 before making it permanent a year later.

Maurizio Sarri was desperate to bring him to Stamford Bridge but it is understood he wanted to stay in Italy and that gave Inter the upper hand.

He has proved to be an integral member of Conte’s side at the heart of midfield, allowing Eriksen to pull the strings for the forward players to thrive in Conte’s 3-5-2 formation.

Barella would have been brilliant to watch and if he continues to excel it wouldn’t be surprising if a big Premier League came calling in the near future.