Chelsea make transfer plan to offload Romelu Lukaku to Inter Milan permanently: Reports
Chelsea have formulated a strategy to sell Romelu Lukaku to Inter Milan on a permanent deal, according to The Daily Telegraph.
Chelsea re-signed Lukaku from Inter for a whopping £97.5 million last summer. It was hoped that the striker would solve the Blues' goalscoring problems and make them genuine title contenders.
However, the move did not go according to plan for both the player and the club. Lukaku managed to score just eight goals from 25 Premier League appearances for Thomas Tuchel's side last season.
The Belgium international also rubbed Tuchel up the wrong way by admitting he is not happy at Chelsea during an interview with Sky Italia last December. He also expressed his desire to return to Inter during the interaction.
#CFC
Romelu Lukaku to @SkySport: "Physically I am fine. But I'm NOT happy with the situation at Chelsea. Tuchel has chosen to play with another system - I won't give up, I'll be professional. I am not happy with the situation but I am professional - and I can't give up now". 🔵 #CFC https://t.co/KGNoJ10cwp
Six months later, Lukaku got what he wished for as the Blues allowed him to re-join Inter on a one-year loan deal. The Premier League giants have pocketed a sum of around £7 million for facilitating the move.
It has now emerged that Chelsea have told Inter that they can keep the 29-year-old for another season. As per The Daily Telegraph, there is a 'broad proposal' for the player to stay at the San Siro for 12 more months under terms similar to those that were agreed this summer.
Such a deal would see the Blues earn another loan fee for the centre-forward. The London giants also believe they can avoid another saga regarding his future by allowing him to stay at Inter.
Furthermore, Chelsea hope Inter will be able to sign Lukaku on a permanent deal after two years on loan, as per the report. It appears the Serie A club are also open to the idea.
Chelsea still likely to make loss on Lukaku
The Blues have made a transfer plan to offload Lukaku to Inter on a permanent deal. However, they are still likely to make a 'huge loss' on the former Everton centre-forward, according to the aforementioned source.
Tuchel's side, though, will be happy to save the Belgian's £325,000-a-week wages. They will be hopeful of bagging another significant loan fee from Inter next year before selling him for a decent sum in the summer of 2024.
Meanwhile, Lukaku will be looking to regain his form after returning to Inter. He scored 64 goals and provided 16 assists in 95 matches across all competitions during his previous stint with the Italian giants.