Chelsea are willing to slash their asking price as a way to offload Romelu Lukaku to Inter Milan on loan, in keeping with reports. Lukaku is pushing to secure a move back to Inter after a miserable first season back at Chelsea and the club have now taken a big step towards making a take care of the Italian side.
Chelsea shelled out a club-record £97.5million fee to sign their former player from Inter last summer, however the move has not worked out. Lukaku scored just eight goals in 26 Premier League appearances last season and openly clashed with Thomas Tuchel by giving a controversial interview to Sky Italia in December through which he criticised the manager’s tactics.
The 29-year-old has made it clear he desires to cut short his stay in west London and return to Milan this summer. But Inter cannot afford to sign the Belgian, who earns £325,000 at Chelsea, and a loan deal can also be proving complicated.
Goal reports that Chelsea were initially asking for a loan fee of £21m (€25m), but are so eager to do away with Lukaku that they’ve now reduced that asking price to £10m (€12m). Inter have to date only raised their offer to £6m (€7m), but Sky Sports say the Italian club are ‘confident’ of securing the striker who scored 24 goals in 36 league games to assist them win Serie A in 2020/21 under Antonio Conte’s management.
JUST IN: Xavi’s brutal Dani Alves decision poses Chelsea double transfer blow
Despite wanting to make things work, there now appears to be an understanding from either side that it is best to chop their losses. Todd Boehly’s consortium, who’re majority funded by Clearlake Capital, are able to back Tuchel in the summertime transfer window after completing a takeover from Roman Abramovich on May 30.
In accordance with the Guardian, Lukaku may very well be removed from the one departure this summer from Chelsea. Tuchel is reportedly able to hearken to offers for Werner, Hakim Ziyech and Christian Pulisic as a way to make room for brand new arrivals.
Chelsea are considering bids for Manchester City pair Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus, RB Leipzig’s Christopher Nkunku and Barcelona’s Ousmane Dembele, who is about to be available on a free transfer.
