After Chelsea issues, Romelu Lukaku is 'in tears' as he seals a loan move back to Inter Milan.
Following his unsuccessful time at Stamford Bridge after a club record £97.5 million transfer, Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku has returned to Inter Milan on a season-long loan ahead of next season.
Romelu Lukaku was reportedly in tears after returning to Inter Milan on a season-long loan from Chelsea for next season.
Inter have secured the loan return of Lukaku from Chelsea after agreeing to pay a fee of £7 million plus add-ons. To secure his return to Italy, the striker has agreed to a salary cut from £325,000 per week to around £210,000.
The Blues paid a club-record fee of £97.5 million to sign the Belgian from Inter last summer, but his second stint at Stamford Bridge was a failure. In 44 appearances for Thomas Tuchel, the Belgian scored only 15 goals and exacerbated his situation at the club by giving a contentious interview to Sky Sports Italia in which he expressed his desire to return to the recently crowned Serie A champions.
According to the Italian newspaper Gazzetta Dello Sport, the 29-year-old became emotional after his agent informed him that the two clubs had reached an agreement for his return to San Siro on Tuesday.
Lukaku will undergo a medical next week before joining Inter for pre-season, and Inter have not included a buy option or obligation as part of the deal. The 29-year-old is set to return to London next summer and is under contract until 2026.
But Lukaku has made it clear that he wants to return to Inter, and according to reports, he even called manager Simone Inzaghi on his birthday in April to ask, "Mister, what do I need to do to come back?"
Chelsea owner Todd Boehly, who recently took over as interim sporting director following Marina Granovskaia's departure, is now focused on fulfilling Tuchel's wishes this transfer window."
The Blues are now thought to be eager to complete a deal to sign Raheem Sterling from Manchester City. Tuchel and co are eager to complete a deal as soon as possible, but the England international has reportedly asked the Premier League champions for more time before making a decision.
After the arrivals of Erling Haaland and Julian Alvarez, Sterling, who is in the final year of his contract at the Etihad, is said to be open to leaving the champions.
City are demanding upwards of £50 million for the England international, and Chelsea are said to have had a bid rejected by Pep Guardiola's side. Chelsea had been related to Ousmane Dembele, who is set to leave Barcelona, but their interest appears to have waned in recent weeks.
Sterling is said to want as much first-team football as possible ahead of the Qatar World Cup, and he will make his decision this summer with that in mind. Lukaku's departure will almost certainly hasten Chelsea's efforts to sign a new forward.
blogpay
