Todd Boehly’s links with Jay-Z may help pave way for Romelu Lukaku’s return to Inter Milan

Todd Boehly’s relationship with Roc Nation Sports could be key to the future of Romelu Lukaku and the striker’s hopes of a return to Inter Milan.

Lukaku has been told by the club’s new owners that Chelsea are prepared to allow him to return to Milan this summer, following talks with head coach Thomas Tuchel, but the deal must be right for the club.

With Federico Pastorello’s mandate to represent Lukaku expiring at the end of the season, the Belgian’s lawyer, Sébastien Ledure, and Roc Nation Sports, who look after his commercial interests, have taken on a more significant role.

Lukaku is understood to have been living with an employee of Roc and the company could play a crucial part this summer given the existing links they have with Boehly.  

Boehly is a part-owner of both the LA Dodgers baseball and the LA Lakers basketball teams, who have done commercial and player-based business with Roc Nation. Lakers guard DJ Augustin is on the Roc rosta.

Last year, it was announced that Boehly and Roc Nation, together with Jay-Z, who founded the agency, were among a group of high-profile investors in Fanatics, the sports merchandise company.

Inter cannot afford to re-sign Lukaku, who cost Chelsea a club record £97.5 million last year, permanently and cannot cover the entirety of his wages which means both clubs, together with the striker’s representatives, must pick their way through a complicated set of negotiations.

Giuseppe Marotta, Inter’s chief executive for sport, on Friday refused to take questions on Lukaku, instead confirming the club’s attempt to sign Paulo Dybala on a free transfer.

Reports from Italy claimed that Inter head coach Simone Inzaghi has become “obsessed” with the idea of lining up with a front three of