Tottenham Hotspur are currently the ‘only realistic escape route’ for Romelu Lukaku to get out of Stamford Bridge this summer.
That’s according to Calciomercato, who say the striker ‘wants to leave’ his current side after realising he made a mistake returning.
The striker saw himself relegated to the bench for this week’s Champions League clash with Lille, a further demonstration that he is not a part of his German manager’s plans.
That’s been clear since the beginning of the season, with the Belgian forward ‘increasingly a foreign body’ in the Chelsea project.
Indeed, he wanted to leave and return to Inter in January, which is why he held that now-infamous interview with Sky praising the Nerazzurri.
The problem is, the Italians do not have the finances to make that happen. Lukaku cost Chelsea €115m last summer and is on €12m a year in wages, figures that are ‘out of reach’ for Simone Inzaghi’s side.
Lukaku, then, will have to wait until the summer to try and secure a move, but costs will have to be cut, and Chelsea will need to play their part. At this moment in time, though, they don’t ‘seem willing to make gifts’.
Inter are likely to see if a deal is possible for their former star after ‘listening’ to the rumours in January, while Tottenham are another option.
They are managed by Antonio Conte, who turned Lukaku back into the star man at Inter, and the Belgian would presumably be happy with a reunion if a return to Milan was not possible.
In fact, according to CM, Conte and Tottenham are Lukaku’s ‘only realistic escape route’ at this moment in time.
That seems a little strange as it is unlikely they would pay the striker or Chelsea what they would be asking for, given the tight grip Daniel Levy has on their finances.
At the same time, Spurs are seemingly determined to please Conte and signing his former star would be one way to do that.
In reality, it’s likely to rest on Harry Kane. If he leaves as many expect him to, Tottenham would have the money and the need for a new elite level striker and Lukaku would certainly fit the bill.
