Chelsea forward Romelu Lukaku has reportedly agreed personal terms with Serie A giants Inter Milan worth around €7.5 million per year.
Inter Milan have made the first step in their pursuit of Romelu Lukaku’s return to the club. The Serie A giants have agreed personal terms with the Belgian striker, who is willing to earn €7.5 million per year. The two parties have had successful negotiations, leaving it up to Chelsea to sanction the sale this summer, reports Gazzetta Dello Sport (h/t Tuttomercatoweb).
The figures of Lukaku’s potential salary at Inter Milan is only 50 per cent of the amount he currently earns at Chelsea. It is indicative of the player’s desperation to put an end to his misery at Stamford Bridge. The agreement itself was quite unthinkable about a year ago, when Lukaku was initially brought in from the Serie A club.
The Belgian international was decried as the missing piece of the Chelsea side coming on the back of European glory. Given his incredible numbers at Inter, he was expected to offer the productivity upfront and complement the creative players such as Kai Havertz, Mason Mount and Hakim Ziyech.
However, the move did not pan out quite well for either party. Lukaku struggled to excel in Thomas Tuchel’s setup this past season and eventually lose his prominence in the Chelsea first team. Upon his return to the Premier League, the 29-year-old forward only scored eight goals in the league, falling behind Havertz in the pecking order.
Lukaku’s dysfunctional relationship with Tuchel had played a key role in reducing his game-time at Stamford Bridge. And this summer, it could lead to his exit from the club, as the German tactician eyes a more versatile and technically astute centre-forward. Richarlison is among the players targeted by Chelsea ahead of the new season.
Aside from Inter, Lukaku has been linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain, while Bayern Munich have been involved in the equation as well. However, the Belgian has his heart set on a move to Inter. He wants to return to his former stomping ground and redeem his career ahead of the upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup.
However, both Inter and Chelsea must act quickly if they are to agree a deal for Lukaku. The report suggests the Serie A giants only have 15 days to convince the Blues to sanction the sale of the Belgian international. The exact details of the deal remain undisclosed, but the Nerazzurri are likely to pursue a loan deal with an option to buy Lukaku permanently next year.