What’s next for Romelu Lukaku? Inter Milan can’t afford him, Chelsea don’t want him and he vowed NEVER to join AC Milan – the only club interested in him – so is Saudi Arabia his only option?
Romelu Lukaku looks stuck at Chelsea on his lucrative contract, making the striker a difficult player to sell on the transfer market, with few clubs able to accept his high salary.
The Belgian was the highest-paid player in Serie A last season when he was loaned out to Inter Milan, but struggled to justify the outlay. For the first six months of the season, Lukaku was either unavailable due to injury or lacked the fitness required to make a positive impact for both Inter and Belgium.
Lukaku has just turned 30 and is another concern for clubs looking to sign the striker, along with his salary demands and recent physical issues.
The current version of Lukaku is not worthy of a place at any of European football’s elite clubs, and the striker is at serious risk of having started an irreversible downward spiral in his career.
Lukaku has shown he needs a club that plays in a very specific way, with the striker blossoming in Antonio Conte’s system during his first spell at Inter Milan.
Romelu Lukaku’s high wages at Chelsea have limited his options in the transfer market
Lukaku’s preference is for a return to Inter Milan, but Chelsea have ruled out a new loan deal
Inter Milan are unable to provide the resources needed to re-sign Lukaku permanently
In contrast, Lukaku struggled to fit into the Manchester United or Chelsea systems to a positive effect.
According to the Gazzetta dello Sport, Inter have no hope of re-signing Lukaku for a second season in a row as Chelsea have categorically ruled out the possibility.
The Blues are looking for a bid of at least 40 million euros to recoup part of their investment on the Belgian striker.
As a result, Saudi Arabia remains a very real path with an offer still on the table to bring Lukaku to the big Pro League.
Lukaku’s preference remains for a return to Inter, but he must wait and see whether chairman Steven Zhang can draw up an offer deemed acceptable by Chelsea. Meanwhile, Inter’s city rivals AC Milan have made their first offer to the Blues.
LUKAKU PROMISED THE FANS: “I’M NEVER GOING TO AC MILAN”
Lukaku had declared his love for Inter in an interview with Sky Sport in 2021, where he reiterated that he would never accept offers from Milan and Juventus. But the situation has changed dramatically.
As it stands, only Stefano Pioli’s AC Milan can offer Lukaku a route to Serie A.
Gazzetta dello Sport reported that Chelsea had informed Lukaku’s entourage that a new loan to Inter would be impossible.
Lukaku previously said he would never go to AC Milan, but they may be his only option in Europe
There remains a bid from Saudi side Al-Hilal and the club is pushing strongly for a deal
In particular, the message was passed on to Sebastien Ledure, the lawyer who was central to bringing about an agreement that saw Lukaku take out a season-long loan to the club last year.
Chelsea insist anyone who wants Lukaku should buy him outright. With Inter lacking the funds for a deal, AC Milan is Lukaku’s only option to stay in European football at this stage.
Lukaku could only have the offer from Al Hilal, with Gazzetta dello Sport reporting that the Saudi side have offered him a three-year contract worth €30 million (£26 million) per season.
Al-Hilal continues his efforts to bring in the attacker, having started his efforts immediately after Inter Milan’s loss to Manchester City in the Champions League final. A first meeting took place at the George V hotel in Paris in the hours after the showpiece in Istanbul.