Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku is now insisting on a move from Chelsea, while Inter Milan want to sign the 29-year-old this summer, Fabrizio Romano reported. Lukaku is even ready to reduce his salary as the two clubs are engaged in talks about the potential loan fee. 

In 2021, Lukaku was one of the blockbuster transfers, arriving from the Serie A side to Stamford Bridge for a record €115 million. However, his arrival was marked by injuries and illness as the No 9 failed to make a mark with the Blues. 

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His stint with Chelsea saw Lukaku net one against Arsenal in a 2-0 victory at the Emirates Stadium. The striker managed four goals in the first four matches in all competitions. 

The drought came soon after, with three months of no goals in the Premier League. While Lukaku managed two goals in two matches after Christmas, his return to form was marred by a controversial Sky Italia interview, suggesting the forward wasn’t happy at Chelsea. 

At the time, he’d said “Now it is the right time to share my feelings. I have always said that I have Inter in my head. I know I will return to Inter, I really hope so. I am in love with Italy”, as per Agence France-Presse.  

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This interview, however, led to Chelsea coach Thomas Tuchel dropping him from the game against Liverpool on January 2. Following this, Lukaku apologized to Chelsea fans and stated he was committed to performing for the English side. 

Despite managing to improve his performance over matches, the season was disappointing for Lukaku, who scored 15 goals across all competitions in 44 games. Eight of those were in the PL, and the player didn’t record a single assist in the last season. 

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While apologizing for his comments, Lukaku had referred to his earlier stint at Chelsea, saying, “So for me I came here when I was 18 it didn’t go so well. Now I’m back at 28 in the prime years of my career – I can’t really mess this up”. 

However, his performance has been anything but spectacular, and the Belgian will now seek greener pastures and better opportunities in Italy, if the Inter deal materializes.