Chelsea are ready to allow Romelu Lukaku to remain on loan at Inter Milan next season before writing off millions by selling him, according to reports in Italy.
The Belgium striker returned to Stamford Bridge in a Chelsea record deal of £97m in the summer of 2021 in the last big deal of the Roman Abramovich deal. But Lukaku, now 29, failed to settle back in London and gave an explosive interview last December saying he wanted to return to Italy.
A one-year loan deal was agreed to go back to Inter Milan this season with the Serie A club paying his €12m-a-year wages and a €8m loan fee plus a further potential €3m in bonuses.
Now Gazzetta dello Sport said all three sides - Lukaku, Chelsea, and Inter Milan - are prepared to agree a further year’s loan including an agreed transfer fee for the summer of 2024. It would see Chelsea write-off millions of pounds on the disastrous transfer completed only in the summer of 2021.
The Milan-based sports daily said an official announcement will not come until the New Year. And a strong World Cup for Lukaku, further injury problems or more financial worries at Inter Milan which is effectively up for sale. The former Manchester United and Chelsea has only played three matches this season - and scored one goal - since suffering a thigh injury in August.
But Lukaku is still a hero at the San Siro after scoring 64 goals in 95 appearances and leading Inter Milan to the Serie A title under Antonio Conte.
And Gazzetta claims new Chelsea owner Todd Boehly is ready to accept a huge potential loss on Lukaku who was signed under the previous regime. The newspaper also says American owner Todd Boehly is a friend of Jay-Z. The rapper, who runs the Roc Nation agency which handles Lukaku, has suggested the striker staying at Inter Milan is the best solution for all parties.
Lukaku fell out with previous coach Thomas Tuchel and even his dismissal has not changed the situation. Chelsea spent £250m in the summer window, including buying centre-forward Pierre-Emerick Aubayemang. Lukaku first signed for Chelsea from Anderlecht in 2011 and felt he had unfinished business on his return to the club last year.
But he scored only eight goals in 26 Premier League games last season and revealed his frustration in an explosive interview with Sky Sport Italia in December which infuriated Chelsea. He said he was “not happy” with his role under Tuchel and said: “I think the coach has chosen to play with another system, I just have to not give up and continue to work and be a professional.”
Lukaku added: “How I left Inter, how I communicated with the fans, this bothers me because it is not the right time now, but even when I left it was not the right time. Now I think it is right to speak because I have always said that I have Inter in my heart, I will return to play there, I really hope so.
"I am in love with Italy, this is rightly the time to talk and let people know what really happened without talking badly about people because I am not like that. I want to say a big apology to the Inter fans because I think the way I left should have been different.
"I really hope in the depths of my heart to return to Inter, not at the end of my career, but at a still good level to hopefully win more."
