Lukaku mess! Big Rom SHOCKS Inter Milan with transfer latest

Stuart Telford

• 15 Jul 2023 14:16 BST
• 3 min read

Romelu Lukaku looked almost certain to return to Inter Milan on a permanent transfer from Chelsea this summer, but now he has angered the club by entering into negotiations with Juventus.

Lukaku spent last season back on loan at Inter, with whom he won Serie A in 2021, and after initially struggling with his fitness re-found his form, hitting 12 of his 13 goals in all competitions after the winter break.

Chelsea had paid Inter €115 million for Lukaku's services in 2021, but have agreed to take a significant hit to send him back the other way, accepting Inter's bid of €35m plus €5m in add-ons.

READ: Inter 'will do their best' to seal Lukaku transfer as Chelsea name asking price

But the problem is that Lukaku has gone radio silent on the move as he waits for Juventus to sell Dusan Vlahovic to Paris Saint-Germain, thus being able to afford his transfer to Turin instead.

'Inter feel betrayed'

"Days after discovering the double-cross, anger has been the prevailing emotion at Inter," reports Gazzetta dello Sport's Filippo Conticello. "There was a gentleman's agreement between them and the Belgian before Chelsea accepted their bid.

"But [Lukaku's advisor] Sebastien Ledure has secured a similar offer from Juve (€37m plus €5m), conditional on the sale of Vlahovic. On finding this out, Inter flew off the handle. They felt betrayed."

READ: Saudi Arabia's €129m offer for Chelsea star

Inter and Juve, who contest the Derby d'Italia, have a stretched relationship at the best of times, but the latest dealings will have damaged it further.

Lukaku hit 24 goals and 10 assists in 36 games as Inter lifted the Scudetto two years ago, and it appears Italian football suits him - whether he plays in black and blue or black and white - with the player turning down a move to Saudi Arabia recently.

Chelsea had tried to offload him to the Saudi Pro League, as they have done with N'Golo Kante, Edouard Mendy and Kalidou Koulibaly, with new arrivals Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson set to dominate the Blues attacking positions next term.