30 June 2023 , 07:53
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Chelsea have flatly rejected the idea of sending Romelu Lukaku out on loan again this season, with Inter Milan attempting to re-sign the striker.
Lukaku scored 64 goals in 95 games for Inter Milan and helped them win the Serie A title after leaving Manchester United in 2019. However, the Belgian international left Inter and rejoined Chelsea in 2021 for £97.5m, but the move quickly turned sour.
Just four months after he returned to Stamford Bridge, an interview with Sky Italia was released where Lukaku said he was "not happy" with his role under then manager Thomas Tuchel and spoke of his desire to "return to Inter, not at the end of my career, but at a still good level to hopefully win more".
Following the interview, Lukaku held talks with Tuchel and issued a public apology, but he failed to recover and ended the season with just eight Premier League goals. He was then shipped back to Inter on loan last season and scored 14 goals in 37 appearances across all competitions as he helped Simon Inzaghi's side reach the Champions League final, where they were beaten 1-0 by Manchester City.
Romelu Lukaku wants to rejoin Inter Milan this summer (Getty Images)Inter are keen to make the loan move permanent and Lukaku is desperate to remain in Italy. "He [Lukaku] has shown to be a great forward for Inter, he's an extraordinary guy. He's under contract at Chelsea, so we'll have to wait and speak with them to understand his situation," Inter president Steven Zhang said.
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"There are many positive things to reflect on this season, it needs to be a starting point to continue our growth day after day. A transfer window cannot be planned in a day. It's important to stay competitive by retaining our best players."
And Sky Italia claim that Inter want to re-sign Lukaku on loan again, but this time with a €30m (£25.7m) obligation to buy. The report adds that the fee would then be 'paid over several years'.
Chelsea are only willing to let Lukaku leave permanently, but Inter want to re-sign him on loan with an obligation to buy (Visionhaus/Getty Images)However, Sky Sports state that Chelsea have 'no plans' to let Lukaku leave on loan and are only willing to sanction a permanent move for him, meaning the 30-year-old may remain at Stamford Bridge next season. Lukaku did receive a lucrative offer from Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal, but rejected the approach due to a desire to continue playing in Europe.
Chelsea are said to have set a £34m asking price for his services which Inter have struggled to meet. As a result, rivals AC Milan were linked with a swoop for Lukaku, but that was quickly put to bed by his lawyer Sebastien Ledure who told Italian media: "There are no talks ongoing with AC Milan.
"Romelu wants to stay in Europe and confirmed this by not going to Saudi Arabia. Chelsea's position is that interested clubs have to present a firm offer. Inter have the ball in their court."