Juventus have engaged in discussions with Chelsea regarding the potential signing of striker Romelu Lukaku.
Inter Milan has expressed their desire to secure Lukaku’s permanent return to the San Siro and is aiming to assemble an offer of £35m to acquire the services of the Belgian international from Chelsea.
Financially, Inter may need to generate funds through player sales to facilitate the move and are currently in negotiations with Manchester United for goalkeeper Andre Onana.
While Lukaku harbors a preference to remain in Italy, the extent to which Inter can meet Chelsea’s demands remains uncertain.
To secure a permanent move to Inter, Lukaku is prepared to accept a salary reduction, amounting to nearly £1m annually, highlighting his strong desire to continue representing the Serie A club.
Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal has also expressed interest in acquiring the 30-year-old forward, who joined Chelsea from Inter for a fee of £97.5m in August 2021.
Mauricio Pochettino, Chelsea’s new head coach, stated during a press conference that he expects Lukaku, the club’s overlooked striker, to report for pre-season training next week. Lukaku spent the previous season on loan at Inter after falling out of favor at Chelsea following a controversial interview in which he expressed his dissatisfaction under former head coach Thomas Tuchel.
“He needs to come back July 12-13 to be part of the squad to start pre-season,” Pochettino remarked. “As is customary, all new players visit my office to say hello. I expect the same from him if he is still a Chelsea player.”
In the meantime, AC Milan has reached an agreement to acquire Chelsea forward Christian Pulisic for a fee believed to be €22m. Pulisic has been granted permission to undergo a medical examination with the seven-time European champions and finalize personal terms. Chelsea has also secured a significant percentage of any future transfer fee as part of the negotiations.
