PSG are ready to rival Inter Milan in the pursuit of Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku, who could leave Old Trafford this summer.
According to Express, PSG have been the latest club to be linked with a move for Romelu Lukaku. The French champions are keen to secure to a replacement for Edinson Cavani, who is likely to join Atletico Madrid this summer.
It is believed that they have identified LOSC Lille’s Nicolas Pepe as their number one replacement for the departing Uruguayan international. But, Lukaku has emerged as their desired alternative should they miss out on the race to sign the French-Ivorian forward, who is also courted by European champions Liverpool.
However, a move for Lukaku could create financial problems for PSG, especially with Manchester United seemingly keen on receiving somewhere around £80 million for the Belgian superstar. And this could be an issue for the French champions, who often tread along the lines of the Financial Fair Play regulations set by Europe’s governing body of football.
Hence, they would ideally like to pay as low as possible to attain the services of Lukaku. But, a move for the ex-Everton attacker doesn’t make sense even from a sporting perspective given his recent struggles at Manchester United.
Indeed, Lukaku hasn’t quite been able to thrive under the tutelage of both Jose Mourinho and subsequently, Ole-Gunnar Solskjaer this past season. As a result, he fell behind Marcus Rashford in the pecking order, with the Belgian having featured in just over 2,100 minutes of league football during the 2018/19 campaign.
Tactically, Thomas Tuchel likes his team to have an agile centre-forward, who can not only score goals but also link-up with teammates in the final third – making the team much more versatile in terms of their offensive approach against defenders. Lukaku, in that regard, doesn’t fit the bill as his mobility has drastically decreased in recent years.
Therefore, a move to Inter Milan might make more sense for the Belgian international, with Antonio Conte seemingly keen on building his team around him next season.
As for Manchester United, getting rid of Lukaku for anywhere around the £70-80 million would be a massive bonus for the club. Newly appointed Solskjaer has already voiced his wish to build his team around young players next season and has strictly asked the Manchester United hierarchy to complete their squad overhaul as early as possible.
That means the ex-Chelsea prodigy will be nothing more than a misfit and a benchwarmer if he remains at Old Trafford next season. Therefore, it would be interesting to see if the Red Devils lower their asking price for Lukaku as both Inter and PSG are unlikely to meet their hefty valuation this summer.
