With out-on-loan Romelu Lukaku having struggled to live up to his club-record transfer fee at Chelsea, here is the latest regarding the Belgium striker's future at the club.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Lukaku has no intention of returning to Chelsea once his loan stint with Inter Milan comes to an end at the conclusion of the 2022/23 campaign.
The 29-year-old left the Nerazzurri for west London at the beginning of last season, but endured a tumultuous time upon his return to Stamford Bridge – he first joined them in 2011 and left in 2014 after struggling to secure a regular starting position – finding the back of the net only eight times in 26 Premier League appearances for the club in the 2021/22 campaign.
COVID-19, injuries, and an apparent fallout with Thomas Tuchel and the Chelsea fanbase all contributed to the forward's underwhelming return to the English capital, and it now seems there will be no reconciliation as Lukaku looks to stay in the city where he was so prolific between 2019 and 2021.
Before becoming Chelsea's most expensive-ever signing at €113 million (R1.9 billion), Belgium's all-time leading goalscorer found the back of the net with regularity in Italy, scoring 30 goals in 44 appearances across all competitions for Inter in the 2020/21 season, and the Serie A club's hierarchy will be hoping he can pick up where he left off.
The same report suggests that the 19-time Scudetto winners will be looking to loan Lukaku again for the 2023/24 campaign as the terms of his current temporary deal do not include a buy option.
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While another loan move to Inter seems likeliest for the striker next season, there has also been rumblings of a possible reunion with Antonio Conte at Tottenham Hotspur.
Earlier this month, it was reported that Chelsea might be keen to buy Spurs talisman Harry Kane, and a deal involving the Englishman might include Lukaku, who has one goal and one assist in three games across all competitions so far this season, moving in the other direction.
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