Inter Milan change tune over Romelu Lukaku transfer as private communication emerges
Inter Milan appear more open to the idea of Romelu Lukaku returning to the San Siro, after higher-ups previously appeared to be less keen on such a move.
Lukaku recorded an impressive 64 goals across two seasons with the Nerazzurri, helping them win the Serie A title in 2020-21 and earning a summer move to Chelsea. However, since that switch - which set the London side back a club record £97.5m - things haven't quite gone to plan.
The Belgian international has found the net just five times in the Premier League, though he remains Chelsea's top scorer across all competitions. After a public airing of grievances before the turn of the year, he is no longer an automatic pick for manager Thomas Tuchel, and talk of a summer switch has gathered pace.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport (via Football Italia ), Inter's directors are no longer ruling out a summer return for Lukaku, who joined the club from Manchester United in 2019. However, rather than a permanent switch, the report suggests the higher-ups would merely entertain a loan return.
There is a secondary element to Lukaku's situation, namely that a lack of game time with Chelsea could impact his hopes of leading Belgium to World Cup glory. The 28-year-old is Belgium's all-time leading scorer, with 68 goals, but international boss Roberto Martinez is reluctant to make a call on the player until the autumn.
"I’m not going to judge or assess the condition of any player until after the summer because it is not a normal situation," Martinez said "It is still seven months to the World Cup and probably you will go into the details of how a player feels when it gets closer to it than now."
Gazzetta dello Sport has also claimed (via Sport Witness ) that Lukaku has