Chelsea Have To Make Reluctant Romelu Lukaku Decision To Avoid Squad Disruption

Chelsea must make their decision regarding Romelu ukaku as the striker looks destined for a return to Inter Milan this summer.

The latest reports state that Chelsea have entered official talks with Inter over a move for the club-record signing, with a loan move looking most likely.

The Serie A side are facing financial difficulties as Thomas Tuchel’s side are thought to want at least €20 million to allow Lukaku to complete a loan switch this summer.

Inter’s official bid of €5 million to take the Belgian on loan has since been rejected, with the Blues set to make a decision on their striker.

With Inter Milan desperate to seal the signing of Lukaku before June 30, so that they can apply a ‘growth decree’ tax on his wages, Chelsea have a decision to make.

The Blues must either decide whether to play hard-ball and risk a deal falling through, or back their manager and take a substantial loss on their initial loan fee demands to kick-start their summer.

Romelu Lukaku showing frustration during his time at Chelsea. (Alamy)

Chelsea are unlikely to look to bring in more forwards while Lukaku remains at the club, and setting him free could be a vital first step to rebuilding Tuchel’s frontline.

Gabriel Jesus is set for a Premier League move, with Chelsea linked. However, the Blues’ inability to seal a deal for Lukaku quickly could see them miss out on the forward to London rivals Arsenal.

Furthermore, Ousmane Dembele will make a decision regarding his future in the coming weeks, with his contract at Barcelona expiring at the end of the month.

Chelsea must ensure that Lukaku is moved on quickly so that they can focus on incomings rather than be caught in another transfer saga regarding an outgoing player.

It will be more beneficial for the club to take a hit on the loan fee for Lukaku to see a swift departure this summer rather than risk losing out on their targets due to focus not being in the right areas.

Furthermore, Tuchel must rebuild his backline following the departures of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen.

The Blues are looking to bring in the likes of Jules Kounde and Matthijs de Ligt, but once again these deals look to be on the back burner while Lukaku takes priority.

Chelsea Manager Thomas Tuchel and coaching staff during the Premier League match at Stamford Bridge. (Alamy)

Recent reports have stated that Barcelona are in negotiations with Sevilla over Kounde. Tuchel’s side must get their priorities straight, with a deal for Lukaku not being an easy one to negotiate but one where they may just have to take a hit in order to benefit the squad long term.

Once Lukaku is out the door, Chelsea can look at a replacement with the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Jesus and Christopher Nkunku available.

The former will be a tough negotiation if Chelsea choose to go for the Frenchman, and one which will likely take weeks to negotiate with RB Leipzig.

Chelsea have been linked with Christopher Nkunku as a potential Romelu Lukaku replacement. (Alamy)

Therefore, the sooner that the Blues can come to an agreement on Lukaku’s loan fee with Inter, the sooner they can start to plan for the future and close the gap to Manchester City and Liverpool as they look to challenge for the Premier League title.

Tottenham Hotspur have taken the initiative to back Antonio Conte, with Ivan Perisic already through the door in north London and the likes of Djed Spence and Yives Bissouma set to follow.

Chelsea cannot let Lukaku’s return to Inter drag on as there is simply not enough time to ensure that Tuchel is substantially backed in this transfer window.