Romelu Lukaku is straying further away from a future at Chelsea football club. It's always tough to see a player with great ability leave, but the drama behind the saga is too much to rectify at this point. Fans are in complete dismay with the news surrounding Lukaku's exit. Numerous outlets have reported that the Belgian is pushing for a loan move back to Inter Milan despite just recently signing a 5-year-deal with Chelsea. To add to this, the I Nerazzurri are open to a loan deal but on their terms.
Inter Milan are prepared to offer £20 million one-year-loan deal with the option to buy for an extra £65 million in 2023. This may sound like a decent offer for the 29-year-old who has fallen out of favour with Chelsea fan base. However, in the one year without Lukaku, the Blues will need to look for a way to replace him. Is it really worth the struggle?
There are two trade options that Inter Milan are open to making. They include two of their defensive powerhouses that Tottenham are currently eyeing. There's another player on Chelsea's wishlist, but Inter would rather trade their centre-backs than lose their current striker.
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Alessandro Bastoni
Tottenham are closing in on Inter Milan defender Bastoni. The 23-year-old is a solid centre-back option that could someday fill the void left by Antonio Rudiger, and it's a no brainer for me. Add Bastoni to the deal, and Chelsea could look to return Romelu Lukaku to the Italians sooner rather than later.
The Blues have already lost out to Tottenham for Ivan Perisic. There's no denying that Spurs boss Antonio Conte could probably pull any Inter Milan player that he had worked with during his time in Italy. It's similar to Jose Mourinho and the pull he has had with players who had played for him in the past. He famously bought Paulo Ferreira and Ricardo Carvalho over from his 2004 Champions League winning Porto side to Chelsea when he moved. Conte is doing the exact same thing. First, it's Perisic. Next, it could be Bastoni.
As top four rivals, Chelsea cannot risk being weakened whilst the Lilywhites strengthen. There's an opportunity for Chelsea to become front runners in a move for the Italian with Inter's graft for Lukaku.
Milan Skriniar.
This is the exact same situation as Bastoni. Antonio Conte's Spurs are interested in Inter Milan's centre-back, and so is Chelsea. According to the Daily Mail, Chelsea have asked about the Inter Milan defender, but the clubs are understood to be some distance apart on valuation for the 27-year-old. Negotiations with Lukaku's price could be a way to bridge the gap between the clubs expectations.
I do not expect the Slovakian to be the front runner on Chelsea's wishlist. The Blues are already in pole position to sign Jules Kounde this summer. It's a deal that has been in the works since the last summer transfer window, and with Chelsea so close to agreeing on a fee with Sevilla, it's unlikely that they'd need Skriniar as much as they would Bastoni.
Lautaro Martinez
A like for like swap deal could be in play here. The Times have recently reported that Inter Milan have set a £70m asking price for their striker. The likelihood of this happening is extremely slim. It's widely known that Romelu Lukaku misses his striking partner, Martinez. It would be extremely counter-productive of Inter Milan to sell the man that could help Lukaku get back to his lethal goal-scoring ways.
As mentioned, Inter Milan would rather give up one of their two defensive powerhouses than lose Martinez, and it seems like Martinez is very happy to stay in Milan for the 2022/23 season at least.
It's all there for the taking for Chelsea to capitalise on. What option should they go for? I say Allessandro Bastoni, but what do you think?
Let me know in the comment section below!
