Chelsea and Inter Milan have reportedly hit a roadblock amid talks to resolve the future of Romelu Lukaku this summer. The 29-year-old striker has been heavily linked with an exit from Stamford Bridge, and the Italian giants have emerged as the most likely destination.
The Belgium international struggled to acclimatise to the Premier League upon his return to west London this season, finding the net just 17 times in 44 appearances. Lukaku's misfortune in front of goal has cast doubt over his future, though he has still been able to court the interest of several top-flight European clubs.
He's been linked with Bayern Munich, Inter Milan and Tottenham. But, the Chelsea striker has reportedly agreed personal terms with Simone Inzaghi's side ahead of a potential return to the Serie A.
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football.london understands that the Belgian has asked his lawyer to check the possibility of a possible return to the San Siro, less than 12 months after making the move from Milan to London. If a loan deal is to be agreed, The Telegraph claim that it could cost Inter around £20m - but the Nerazzurri are said to be opposed to paying such a fee.
So alternatively, due to the Italian side's financial shortcomings, Chelsea have reportedly enquired about a player-plus-cash swap deal. According to La Repubblica, the Blues have enquired about the possibility of either - or - Denzel Dumfries, Stefan de Vrij and Alessandro Bastoni being incorporated in a swap.
It's believed that the west Londoners 'demand' that the latter be included in negotiations. Though, Bastoni has already turned his nose up at a move to Tottenham, with the young defender reportedly content at Inter.
Regardless of whether a swap deal comes to fruition, Tuchel is keen to undergo a rebuild at Chelsea this summer. With the new ownership group eager to bolster the Blues' armoury, The Telegraph report that after player sales are taken into account, the club could be granted a £200million war chest to spend this summer - the trio in question are valued at £111.5million by CIES Football Observatory.
Speaking to football.london, the Blues boss said: "We are rebuilding, not improving the squad. We are rebuilding. This is always challenging, but we are up for the challenge.
"I don't know where we are from day one. What I can promise is that I will be here – if I can promise that – I will be here with full energy and positive energy no matter what. We will still work for Chelsea, and I refuse to think of negative scenarios. We will be competitive, on which level we will see."
