Chelsea’s want-away striker Romelu Lukaku looks set for a return to Inter Milan, but there is still some way to go before the two clubs can finalise a deal they are both happy with.
The Premier League outfit will want a decent return for the record fee of £97.5m they shelled out last summer, but that is a price I Nerazzurri can’t afford to pay to get their man back. It’s a move both clubs and the player want to happen so, somehow, the money men need to make it work.
Tuchel’s aim must surely be to close the gap between Chelsea and the top two sides in England, Manchester City and Liverpool. He needs to get moving in the market pretty quickly, because on Monday City unveiled their new signing Erling Braut Haaland while Liverpool moved closer to the capture of Benfica hot shot Darwin Nunez. The Premier League 2022 betting odds are more than likely to predict another third place finish for the Blues but Tuchel will be keen to break the mould.
Lukaku’s return to the Bridge was greeted by a fanfare of adulation but the mood quickly turned sour for both player and club. Things picked up in the New Year when Lukaku enjoyed a good run of starts and he earned a place in the FA Cup final team. And he ended the campaign as Chelsea’s top scorer in all competitions, with 15 goals, though only eight came in the Premier League.
The Blues are reported to be happy to loan Lukaku back to the Italian club and that will be music to the ears of Nerazzurri fans. Losing the Scudetto to city rivals AC Milan just a year after winning it in 2021 was hard to take and they looked back fondly to the days when Lukaku was scoring for fun in Serie A. But the suggested loan fee of £20m might be too much for the Italians to pay and they will need to be creative.
Chelsea have recently said goodbye to their best defender, Anton Rudiger, after he refused to sign a new contract at Stamford Bridge, and they need to recruit in the centre half position, and that’s where Inter defender Milan Skriniar might smooth the deal. The 27 year old Slovakian has made 172 appearances in four successful seasons at the San Siro with Inter, and is captain of his national team. And he is just the sort of character Tuchel needs in his dressing room among a group of young stars.
Skriniar is a born leader, strong and skilful, and Blues fans will see the likeness to their legendary former skipper John Terry. Chelsea have already reached a verbal agreement to bring Sevilla defender Jules Kounde to the Bridge, but with Andreas Christensen also departing Tuchel needs two replacements, and Skriniar would be a perfect fit as part of a loan swap.
Where else could Chelsea strengthen?
While Tuchel is keen to find a strong replacement for Rudiger he’s also looking for reinforcements in midfield and attack, and there are one or two Inter players he might fancy as part of a swap/loan deal for his Belgian striker.
His midfield lynchpin, N’golo Kante, is 31 and in the final year of his contract, as is fellow midfielder Jorginho, so Chelsea need to find at least one replacement, and preferably a younger one. 29 year old Croatian Marcelo Brozovic is renowned to be one of the world’s best defensive midfielders. He’s been at Inter since 2015 and might be tempted by a new challenge. Liverpool and Arsenal have both been watching Brozovic and he is ready made to move straight into a top English side if one of them can make an agreement with the Nerazzurri.
Brozovic could be part of a deal to take Lukaku to Milan, and Tuchel also has his eye on any chance to make improvements to his attacking unit. Apart from the obvious need to replace Lukaku, German striker Timo Werner has struggled to make an impact so far at Stamford Bridge, and Chelsea fans would love to see Inter’s Lautaro Martinez make the trip from Milan to West London. Apparently the Blues’ negotiating team has already asked the question. But the 24 tear old Argentine striker struck up a fantastic partnership with Lukaku during the Nerazzurri’s Scudetto season… and that will be something head coach Simone Inzaghi would love to rekindle.
Here at SBOTOP we’ll be watching the Lukaku story as it unfolds; so keep it here for all the latest Premier League and Serie A 2022 news. Things are starting to heat up!
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