Chelsea are reportedly facing paying as much as £100million for the transfer of Inter Milan striker Romelu Lukaku this summer.
The Blues remain keen on Lukaku, who may also be tempted by a return to Stamford Bridge due to the feeling of having unfinished business at his former club, according to The Athletic.
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The Belgium international struggled to get much playing time at Chelsea as a youngster, and has gone on to enjoy a superb career at a number of other clubs.
Some of Lukaku’s best form came during a spell with Everton, which led to him joining Manchester United in 2017, though he never quite managed to settle at Old Trafford.
Since then, Lukaku has got back to his best with Inter Milan, though their financial struggles could mean they’ll let the 28-year-old go for the right price.
The Athletic claim that price could be as high as £100m, with the Serie A giants’ recent sale of Achraf Hakimi relieving their financial pressures a little.
Chelsea could do with a big-name signing like Lukaku to come in as an upgrade on Timo Werner, but £100m is a lot to pay for a player who may no longer be at his peak.
Although 28 isn’t exactly anywhere near retirement age, Lukaku has played a lot of football at the highest level since he was a teenager, so it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that he might start to feel that in the next two or three years.