The protest of Inter supporters against the departure of Romelu Lukaku continues. After yesterday’s banner by the Curva, they have targeted the HQ with more disgruntled signs. “Suning resign and go home!,” “Inter are not a washing machine company,” “IM bothered,” they say, mocking the team’s new logo and the other businesses of the conglomerate.
The malcontent has reached China, as the ownership has hit pause on the transfer. However, it might just be a gambit to get Chelsea to up their bid, La Gazzetta dello Sport reports. The Blues have not formally raised their previous proposal, which consisted of €100M plus Marcos Alonso.
According to the outlet, Inter would reinvest only a fraction of the sum in a newcomer. The savings on the salary would also be sizeable given the striker’s €8.5M wage. However, even a massive fee would only marginally lower the club’s debt.
At the same time, the loss of Lukaku might demoralize the locker room and some teammates could ask out. Inter would no longer be certain to qualify for the Champions League, which would be an economic bloodbath in the not-so-distant future.
The Zhang family is thinking it over, and the Italian front office is trying to change their mind. CEO Giuseppe Marotta and the rest of the management are strongly opposing the deal. They believe they could get an €80M profit and cut the payroll by 15/20 percent even without it. However, the elephant in the room is the player’s will, which has given in to Chelsea’s courtship.