Romelu Lukaku, a striker for Chelsea, has returned to Inter Milan on a season-long loan in preparation for the upcoming campaign after his failed tenure at Stamford Bridge following a club-record £97.5 million deal.
Romelu Lukaku allegedly broke down in tears after agreeing to return to Inter Milan from Chelsea on a season-long loan before the next season.
Inter agreed to pay a £7 million price plus add-ons in order to obtain Lukaku back on loan from Chelsea.
The striker agreed to a pay cut from £325,000 per week to about £210,000 in order to secure his return to Italy.
The Belgian was acquired by the Blues from Inter in a club-record deal for £97.5 million last summer,
but his second tenure at Stamford Bridge has not been fruitful. The Belgian only scored 15 goals in 44 games under Thomas Tuchel, and he made matters worse by giving a contentious interview to Sky Sports Italia in which he indicated his desire to rejoin the Serie A winners who had just won the title.
According to Italian source Gazzetta Dello Sport, the 29-year-old felt tearful as his representative informed him of the agreement made between the two clubs for his return to San Siro on Tuesday.
Before joining the Serie A team for preseason, Lukaku will have a physical. Inter have not included an option or obligation to buy as part of the contract.
The 29-year-old will return to London in the summer of 2019 and is still bound by his current deal through 2026.
But Lukaku made it known that he wanted to go back to Inter, and according to sources, on his birthday in April, he even contacted manager Simone Inzaghi to ask: “Mister, what do I need to do to come back?”
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Todd Boehly, owner of Chelsea, is currently focused on carrying out Tuchel’s requests during this transfer window after recently taking over as temporary sports director following Marina Granovskaia’s departure.
Raheem Sterling, a standout for Manchester City, is thought to be a player whom the Blues are eager to sign. Tuchel and company want to close a deal as soon as possible because preseason is approaching,
but the England international is said to have requested the Premier League winners for more time to think things over.
After the additions of Erling Haaland and Julian Alvarez, Sterling, who is nearing the final year of his contract at the Etihad, is reportedly willing to leave the reigning champions.
According to reports, Pep Guardiola’s team has previously rejected a deal from Chelsea for the England international that City are asking for in excess of £50 million. Ousmane Dembele, who is expected to depart Barcelona, had been a target for Chelsea, but it appears that interest has waned recently.
It has been said that Sterling will make his choice this summer with the goal of playing as much first-team football as possible before the World Cup in Qatar. The departure of Lukaku will probably hasten Chelsea’s search for a new forward.