Inter Milan are reflecting on their deal for Romelu Lukaku, with his return from Chelsea in the summer yet to work out.
That’s according to Gazzetta dello Sport, who cover the Belgian striker today and whether Inter Milan will make his return a permanent one.
They explain that so far, the Italian club have spent €12m on the loan deal but have gotten just 256 minutes out of him due to injuries, something that causes them to reflect.
Their budget is currently in the red and he ‘cost a lot’, with the current deal working out at just under €47k per minute, something they had not planned on.
They had been willing to bring the striker back from Chelsea ‘at all costs’, as he strongly wanted to return to Italy after a miserable spell at Stamford Bridge.
What neither he nor Inter had ‘budgeted’ for was an injury in August that has forced him off of the pitch for two months. He’s only just returned but that cost of €46k per minute is ‘frightening’ for the Serie A side.
His 2022 with Inter is practically over given the World Cup is around the corner, with that tournament now his ‘priority’.
His performance in Qatar is of interest to Inter, who are wary of him being injured again and must ‘carefully evaluate’ what they will do in future.
Re-signing the striker was a ‘heavy investment’ for the club’s coffers and they need to decide whether to continue it at the end of the season.
They have an agreement in place with Chelsea for another year-long loan deal starting next summer, which will cost another €10m and a further €12m in salary for Lukaku.
Inter need to evaluate whether that’s something they want to pay. He is a player the club loves and one who can make the difference, but the decision was made with the heart, and they have ‘paid dearly’ for that so far.
