As the week has gone on, it has become clearer by the day that Romelu Lukaku is edging towards a return to Chelsea.
At Stamford Bridge between 2011 and 2014, the Belgian never really managed to impose himself, spending more time out on loan at both West Brom and Everton than in London.
Now a fully fledged elite striker following more time at Goodison Park and moves to Manchester United and Inter, Lukaku is a prime target for Chelsea, who are looking to improve Thomas Tuchel’s attack.
The problem in all this is that the Serie A side, to whom he is currently contracted to, made a promise they would not be selling anymore big names following Achraf Hakimi’s exit, but the €120m+ the Blues are prepared to offer have somewhat changed the owner’s mind.
Down the player’s end, it has been reported that Tuchel was instrumental in convincing Lukaku that a return to Chelsea would be a good idea, and we are now closer to a transfer than ever before.
Gazzetta dello Sport start us off by explaining that Inter’s refusal of the early offers has not put off the Premier League side, who will ‘make a new attack for Lukaku today’.
A ‘direct contact between the two clubs is planned’, during which ‘Marina Granovskaia will increase the valuation to €120m’, with the Blues now ‘willing to change the technical counterpart, perhaps inserting a player of lower value’, thus increasing the cash amount in the process.
They explain ‘it’s equally evident that the player has now made his choice, so much so as to communicate his intention to return to Chelsea to everyone’.
The Blues are keen to get this done sooner rather than later, with Tuchel ideally wanting his man by Wednesday to face Villarreal in the Super Cup, and ‘everything suggests that the €130m demands could be approached, if not quite met’.
Moving onto Corriere dello Sport, they corroborate the idea that a new offer is on its way, but they do not know which way Granosvkaia will go.
She has two options at her disposal: paying now and getting Lukaku immediately or, knowing Inter’s financial difficulties, play the long game and try and get a discount.
At Inter, ‘a quick solution is also hoped for’ due to the ‘strange atmosphere’ currently hanging over the Serie A side.
For them, ‘a conclusion is expected by Sunday’, but should this fail to happen, ‘would they have the strength to remove the player from the market’?
There is a fear Lukaku’s departure could affect the rest of the dressing room, and yet, that isn’t much of Chelsea’s concern.
They are there to do business, and only care about their best interests, especially since they are willing to pay a huge sum of €100m+ for the player.
Either way, Corriere conclude the story’s end ‘is no longer a secret’ and the vast majority of fans are bracing themselves for Lukaku’s departure.
