Romelu Lukaku reportedly wants to re-join Inter Milan this summer but may have to take a mega pay cut to do so.
According to Sportmediaset, the Chelsea striker would need to slash his salary in half in order to return to the San Siro.
Lukaku wants to re-join Inter, but will it be that easy?
There are obviously several aspects of this story that make Lukaku’s move back to Inter extremely difficult.
Would he really give up 50% of his £325,000-a-week (Sportac) wage in the hope he might rediscover the form that made him such a formidable Serie A force?
Even if the 29-year-old dropped down the financial ladder, how willing will Inter be to restore him to their squad?
The centre-forward left the club immediately after firing them to their first league title in a decade.
His cult-hero status amongst the fans swiftly transformed into the villain of Milan, with many believing the transfer was built around money above anything else.
What are Inter’s current options?
Okay, the supporters don’t want him representing the jersey, but is this the feeling of the board and the manager?
Simone Inzaghi replaced Antonio Conte pretty much just as Lukaku was flying to London, so there can’t be much, if any, distaste between the two.
His side faired pretty well without Chelsea’s record-signing, finishing second in the league behind Milan by two points.
Lautaro Martinez stepped up in the absence of his former strike partner, scoring 25 times across all competitions.
Edin Dzeko grabbed 17 for himself, whilst Ivan Perisic contributed 10 and Alexis Sanchez nine.
However, Inzaghi’s front line could easily be ripped apart in the next few months.
Martinez has many admirers in the Premier League, with an offer from Arsenal apparently already turned down.
At 36-years of age, Dzeko’s time at the very top is reaching its conclusion, so a younger model surely needs recruiting.
Perisic has actually been linked with a switch to Chelsea as a free agent, as his contract expires in under a week.
Sanchez meanwhile has failed to impress since joining Inter from Manchester United in 2020 and will be let go if the opportunity arises.
Perhaps I Nerazzurri might have to accept Lukaku’s invitation after all.
