Romelu Lukaku’s future at Inter is still up in the air as his Nerazzurri loan spell draws to an end in June. However, with the UEFA Champions League still to play for, there is a slight chance the Belgian could end up staying put the next season.
As per La Gazzetta dello Sport (via Tuttomercatoweb), chances of seeing Lukaku don the black-and-blue jersey are very slim, but not impossible. Three conditions need to be met for the center-forward to avoid a return to Stamford Bridge next season.
Inter CEO Marotta: "Lukaku’s future? He loves Inter and this city — but now he’s Chelsea player, so decisions are up to them”. ??? #Inter #CFC
“We will discuss Lukaku’s future with the coach and the board, we’ll see… but he’s top professional and loves Inter. This is crucial”. pic.twitter.com/4iEdvrsHEA
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 30, 2023
The first is Mauricio Pochettino not relying on the striker to be one of his main men upfront next season. The potential Chelsea manager is touted to hand Lukaku a second chance in London, but if the ex-Spurs manager doesn’t want him, Lukaku would be spared the return back to the Premier League.
The next requirement is that the Nerazzurri qualify for the Champions League by finishing in the top four or win the tournament itself. If they do end up beating Milan over two legs, either Manchester City or Real Madrid will await them in the final.
The third and perhaps the most significant condition depends on Lukaku accepting a major pay cut since a renewal with current costs is not financially sustainable for the Italian giants.
??? Romelu Lukaku (29) was directly involved in all 3 goals Inter scored today vs Empoli! He now has 6 goal contributions in his last 6 games. pic.twitter.com/lvrWsqkA3v
— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) April 23, 2023
Lukaku has emerged strong in past few weeks, playing a key role in beating Porto and Benfica in the UCL last 16, while he also has starred with significant contributions in Inter’s last two league matches – scoring twice and assisting three teammates in the process.
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