Despite the initial resistance by Inter and the player, Chelsea have made significant strides in their pursuit of Romelu Lukaku. The striker has decided to return to the Blues and communicated his intentions to coach Simone Inzaghi, Sky Sport reports.
Inter had initially turned down the mammoth bids for the star but essentially left the choice up to him. Lukaku has been wooed by Chelsea’s relentlessness and the opportunity to join the Champions League winners in a starring role. Moreover, he will have the chance to redeem himself after failing to impress in his two previous stints with the club. He will also get a humungous pay raise, although he did not use it as leverage to get a new contract from the Nerazzurri.
Ownership has greenlighted the sale and instructed the front office to monetize it as much as possible. Inter have set a130M price tag, the outlet adds. The deal will likely go through for slightly less. Afterward, Inter will move swiftly to acquire Duvan Zapata from Atalanta, Gianluca Di Marzio informs. He has a €50M evaluation, but the Beneamata will try to negotiate it down.
The replacement for the Colombian striker could arrive directly from Chelsea. The Orobici have taken an interest in Tammy Abraham, who has been in talks with Arsenal. They will be in London for a friendly with West Ham next week. They will exploit the situation to discuss the center-forward with the Blues management. Andrea Belotti is also on their radar, Tuttomercatoweb informs.