Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku, who is currently on loan at Inter, is poised to return to the club in the summer after the Nerazzurri chose not to exercise their option to extend the loan.
After a disappointing 2021/22 season with Chelsea, Lukaku was anticipated to make a comeback with Inter. However, despite being on loan, Lukaku has not been able to ignite his career this season in Milan.
The Belgian striker returned to Inter, where he had a successful first stint between 2019 and 2021, scoring 64 goals in 95 games and helping the Nerazzurri end Juventus’ domination in Italy by winning the Serie A title at the start of this season.
He hoped to regain that form with Inter, but the season has been marred by injuries and inconsistent performances.
He has only appeared in 24 games across all competitions this season, scoring seven goals in that time.
Inter believe that his current performance is not commensurate with his wages, and as a result, they will not seek a permanent transfer or negotiate a new loan deal for Lukaku, preferring a younger striker on lower wages who could then fetch them a transfer fee in the future.
With Serie A teams experiencing financial difficulties, Inter have forced to reevaluate their stance on Lukaku, despite the striker’s intention to remain in Italy.
Inter have already identified potential successors with French attacker Marcus Thuram and Belgian Ligue 1 prodigy Lois Openda mentioned as viable options when the former Everton and Manchester United player returns to England.
Both players match the Inter model of a striker, with Thuram available on a free transfer and Openda believed to cost a little fee in compared to Lukaku.
