According to rumors in Italy, Romelu Lukaku has decided to return to Inter Milan on loan from Chelsea next season.
After leading Inter to the Serie A championship, the Belgian, Romelu Lukaku re-joined Chelsea for a club-record £98 million last summer. Ever since, he has struggled to make an impression at Stamford Bridge, scoring only eight Premier League goals.
As a result, speculation over his future has reignited, with rumors claiming that the 29-year-old has agreed to return to Inter on loan for the 2022-23 season, with the transfer now in the hands of both clubs.
Drawing from sources, Lukaku would make £6.4 million per year in pay, which is £3.8 million less than the £10.2 million £2.5 million in add-ons he now receives with Chelsea.
Regardless, Inter are hoping to conclude a deal with Chelsea by the end of June in order to take advantage of the Growth Decree regulation.
The system allows Italian teams to purchase foreign players with large tax benefits if they stay in the country for at least 24 months.
Lukaku joined Inter in the summer of 2019 and scored 24 goals in the Italian top flight for a team headed by Antonio Conte, winning the Scudetto in 2020-21.
Despite this, he made it clear that he wanted to return to Chelsea, where he had previously played from 2011 to 2014, and joined the Blues last summer.
However, he fell out of favor under Thomas Tuchel owing to fitness issues and a contentious interview during the holiday season in which he stated he was “not happy” at Chelsea.
Lukaku did start the FA Cup final against Liverpool last month, but he was unable to score a crucial goal that would have propelled the Blues to a title this season.
Lukaku will also prioritize regular minutes at the start of next season in order to secure his place in Belgium’s starting lineup for the World Cup in Qatar.