Romelu Lukaku: Chelsea and Inter milan reached a loan deal for the Belgian striker.
Chelsea and Inter have reached an agreement on striker Romelu Lukaku's return to San Siro on loan; Last summer, the Belgian rejoined Chelsea from Serie A club for a record transfer fee, but he scored just eight Premier League goals. The 29-year-old is expected to undergo a medical examination next week before returning to San Siro.
Just 11 months after Internazionale sold Lukaku to Chelsea for £97.5 million, only the final details of the deal need to be resolved to welcome Lukaku back to the club.
The two clubs have agreed to a loan totalling £10.3 million, which includes £6.9 million in loan fees and £3.4 million in bonuses. Lukaku has agreed to a 30% pay cut to smooth his exit, and his after-tax income will fall from £10 million a year to £7 million. All of his wages will be paid by Inter.
A breakthrough was made Tuesday night after several rounds of negotiations between Lukaku's lawyer Sebastian Leduer and Inter Milan CEO Giuseppe Marotta over the past few weeks. Last December, Lukaku said in Italy that he hoped to return to Inter one day, saying: "I really want to go back to Inter in the depths of my heart, not at the end of my career, but at a level that is still good, hoping to win more. Last week, it was revealed that Inter were unable to sign Romelu Lukaku on a permanent contract – he scored 64 goals in 95 games and helped them win the Serie A title while at the club.
Chelsea decided to let Lukaku go after discussions between Todd Boyley and Thomas Tuchel, who were appointed chairman and interim sporting directors on Wednesday, and between Boely and Romelu Lukaku. The boss and manager hope to settle Lukaku's future as soon as possible so they can focus on strengthening the team this summer. Chelsea are keen to sign Raheem Sterling from Manchester City, with Richard Charleson, Osman Dembele, Jules Kunde, Mates De Ligt, Jonathan Klaus and Milan Shkrinar also targeting.