Real Madrid have reportedly been offered a chance to sign Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku, who is keen on leaving the club in the summer.
According to Spanish publication MARCA, Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku has been offered to La Liga and European champions Real Madrid ahead of the summer transfer window.
Lukaku returned to Chelsea last summer, eight years after leaving the club permanently. The Belgian international arrived from Inter Milan for a club-record transfer fee of €115 million. However, in his second debut campaign for the Blues, the striker has proven to be a major dud, managing just eight Premier League goals in 26 matches.
Lukaku has failed to gel in with manager Thomas Tuchel’s methodologies and has appeared unsettled at Stamford Bridge. With the manager also not convinced by the centre-forward, an exit in the summer looks like a strong possibility.
Lukaku’s former employers, Inter Milan, are keen on a reunion with the striker. There have been murmurs of a potential loan deal with an option to buy next summer, while the Belgian is reported to have reached an agreement over personal terms with the Nerazzurri. However, the Italian giants’ difficult financial situation might become a hurdle in negotiations.
It has left the door open for other clubs to make a swoop, with Tottenham Hotspur reportedly eyeing a move for Lukaku. And it seems like the striker’s camp is also keeping its options open if a move to Inter Milan does not materialise, as they have offered the 29-year-old to Real Madrid ahead of the summer.
Real Madrid are in the market for a new striker as they prepare to get rid of Luka Jovic and Mariano Diaz. Such a move would leave the reigning champions of Spain and Europe with Karim Benzema as the only option in the No. 9 position. A move for Kylian Mbappe had been in the works, but the Frenchman performed a late U-turn and signed an extension with Paris Saint-Germain.
It has left Real Madrid looking at options to bolster their attacking ranks, with several players being linked. Manchester City star Gabriel Jesus has been offered to the Merengues, and they are seriously considering the possibility of signing the 25-year-old Brazilian international, who seems set to depart the Etihad this summer.
Now, Real Madrid have also been given a chance to land Lukaku’s services. However, given how he performed in the recently-concluded campaign, Carlo Ancelotti’s side might be reluctant to take a punt on the Chelsea ace. And, as things stand, a return to Inter Milan seems the likeliest possibility for the former Manchester United striker.