An agreement over Romelu Lukaku’s loan move from Chelsea to Inter Milan has finally been struck, according to reports in Italy.
The Belgian looks set to put his disappointing return to Stamford Bridge to an end, looking to go back to where he enjoyed the best spell of his career just under a year later.
Lukaku arrived with so much promise last summer for a club-record £97.5 million fee but has been unable to hit the heights he showed in Italy.
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Inter have submitted their second offer for Lukaku, looking to conclude a deal as soon as this weekend.
This comes closer to matching Chelsea’s valuation for a loan move this summer.
An initial €5 million loan fee bid was rejected by Chelsea earlier this month, with the Blues demanding more.
The Serie A side have now proposed a €7 million loan fee, including add-ons, to see Lukaku return to the San Siro, coming close to the €10 million that Todd Boehly is demanding this summer.
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Gazzetta dello Sport have now revealed that an agreement appears to have finally been struck between the clubs.
The report states that Inter’s Steven Zhang has finally agreed to a loan package that is worth a £6 million initial fee with an extra £1.7 million in potential bonuses.
This will come as a boost for all those involved in the move, as Zhang was previously put off by Chelsea’s demands.
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Furthermore, reports state that an answer from Todd Boehly is ‘expected today or tomorrow’ as a deal could be struck.
Inter ‘believe they are making a great effort’ in the deal, set to bring back their former star.
Lukaku has ‘never been so close’ to returning to the San Siro despite a nervous few days.
Gazzetta dello Sport continue to report that Chelsea’s loan fee demands had thrown the deal into doubt.
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Furthermore, Lukaku had been left fearing that the transfer may fall through entirely.
However, Lukaku’s lawyer Sebastien Ledure ‘did a good job of keeping everyone talking’.
The forward’s ‘nervousness then gave way to a new confidence once he learned from the meeting in Milan that the white smoke was close again’.
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It now looks increasingly likely that a deal could be announced by this weekend, ending Lukaku’s torrid spell in London - at least for the next season.
Chelsea will then focus on bringing in reinforcements ahead of the new season, while fellow striker Armando Broja is attracting interest from the likes of West Ham.
The summer is proving to be a busy one so far for the Blues, at least in terms of outgoings, as they look to rebuild their squad in order to challenge at the top of the Premier League once more.
Topics: Chelsea, Chelsea Transfer News & Rumours, Transfers, Romelu Lukaku, Inter Milan, Football
Nick Emms