Inter Milan have submitted a second bid worth an initial £25.7million to re-sign Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku.
Talks are ongoing over a package of add-ons that will take the overall deal closer to Chelsea's £40m asking price.
No written offer has been submitted but officials of both clubs are now in constant dialogue to complete a permanent deal as soon as possible.
The 30-year-old was due back in training yesterday but has since been permitted to stay away from Cobham Training Centre until Monday next week.
The Belgium international is keen to leave Stamford Bridge at all costs, less than two years on from his £97m return in 2021, having fallen out with then-manager Thomas Tuchel and subsequently damaging his relationship with supporters.
Lukaku will snub interest from Juventus and Al-Hilal to re-join Inter, the club where he has spent four of his last five years playing football.
Al-Hilal, who are backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, were willing to offer Lukaku a substantial increase on his £325,000-a-week wages and pay Chelsea’s full £40m asking price but have given up hope in the chase.
They have since had a £25.5m offer rejected by Fulham for Aleksandar Mitrovic, who is open to a move to Saudi Arabia.
Lukaku is willing to sacrifice nearly £1m per season in wages to ensure his move back to Italy goes through.
