0
0
Romelu Lukaku will return to Chelsea in the summer despite his desire to remain with Inter Milan.
Despite his desire to stay in Italy, Romelu Lukaku may return to Chelsea at the end at Inter.
Lukaku joined Chelsea from Inter for £98 million in the summer of 2021. He later returned to his former club on loan at the start of the season.
However, the forward has struggled for consistency at the San Siro. He has only seven goals in 24 games and missing significant time due to injury.
Lukaku will return to Frank Lampard’s side ‘against his will’ in the summer because Inter cannot afford the cost of another move.
The Italian outfit is in financial trouble, having lost €784m (£694m) over the last ten years and having an annual operating loss of around €150m (£133m).
As a result, they’ll have to make cuts this summer, and given Lukaku’s lack of output after signing him back for a €8 million (£6.9 million) loan fee plus covering a significant portion of his wages, the club hasn’t gotten enough in return.
They are now preparing for a future without Lukaku, and Inter are also in danger of missing out on next season’s Champions League due to Simone Inzaghi’s side’s current fifth-place finish in Serie A, which would exacerbate their financial problems.
Romelu Lukaku and Inter Milan are likely to apart in coming summer
Inter’s owners, have invested more than $500 million in the club since taking over. Due to difficulties in China, the club has recently had to rely on expensive loans from American investment funds.
Lukaku wants to stay at the club where he scored 64 goals in 95 games from 2019 to 2021. He is also willing to accept a pay cut.
Lukaku recently scored a game-winning goal in their 1-0 aggregate victory over Porto in the Champions League last-16. Similarly, a 2-0 win over Benfica in the first leg of the quarter-final last week too.
Inter will not try to extend Lukaku’s contract. If he does not start playing exceptionally well the rest of the season the club won’t accept him more.
There’s also the intriguing possibility that Chelsea will need to sell players in order to balance the books after posting £121 million in losses in their most recent financial statements. Lukaku was viewed as a potential asset who could be moved on.
However, given that he is nearly 30, and that a key part of Inter’s business model over the years has been bringing in players before selling them for profit, his chances of returning to the San Siro are dim.
The club is showing their interest in Marcus Thuram, Roberto Firmino, Mateo Retegui, and Lois Openda. The Italian Giants are seeking potential replacements for former Manchester United and Everton forward Lukaku for next season.
