The Romelu Lukaku transfer saga has taken a fresh twist amid reports that Inter Milan are seeking to take advantage of the striker's split from his agent.
Lukaku returned to Chelsea last summer for a club record fee approaching £100million. But the move has proved to be an utter disaster, with the Belgian scoring just eight Premier League goals and falling increasingly out of favour under Thomas Tuchel.
His time back at Stamford Bridge has been punctuated by frequent reports of his unhappiness. That has led to a belief that he could cut his second spell at the Blues short after just one season having struggled to live up to his price tag.
Leading the race to sign him is thought to be Inter Milan, who he helped to win Serie A a year ago. According to Calciomercato, Inter have made Lukaku a 'primary need' that they believe needs to be 'met quickly'.
It is stated that Lukaku is now the priority for the Italian giants who are in the process of understanding what the 'margins are' for 'concluding' a move for the striker. It is stated that on Tuesday, Inter chiefs will meet with Lukaku's lawyer to start 'defining the strategy' to bring him back to the San Siro.
Though Inter are also considering a move for Paulo Dybala, but have asked the Argentine for more time while they work on Lukaku. They are said to have set a deadline for the end of June for completing a deal for the Chelsea star.
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If no deal has been agreed by that point, then they will instead push on to bring in Dybala, who left Juventus at the end of the season. Dybala is available on a free transfer, while Chelsea will likely want to recoup as much of the huge fee they paid for Lukaku as possible.
It would appear that by approaching Lukaku's lawyer, Inter are taking advantage of his recent split from his agent. It was reported on Sunday that the striker has cut ties with Federico Pastorello, who masterminded his return to Chelsea.
With Pastorello no longer his representative, lawyer Sebastien Ledure has taken charge of his affairs. It is thought that Ledure will now negotiate with Inter chief Beppe Marotta over a return.
Lukaku has made no secret of his desire to one day return to Inter, where he enjoyed the most successful spell of his career. In a bombshell interview released just before the January transfer window, the Belgian had made his unhappiness with life at Chelsea clear.
“However, I am not happy with the situation at Chelsea, that is normal. I think the coach chose to play a different system, I just have to not give up, keep working and be professional. I am not happy with the situation, but I’m a hard worker and I mustn’t give up,” he told Sky Sports Italia.
“The way I left Inter, the way I communicated with the fans, this annoys me, because this might not be the right time to say it, but back then it didn’t feel like the right moment either.
“Now I think it’s right to speak, because I said that I will always have Inter in my heart and I genuinely hope to one day go back to play there. I am in love with Italy. I really, genuinely from the bottom of my heart hope to come back to Inter, not at the end of my career, but while I am still at the level to win more trophies.”
