How Inter Milan could line up with Romelu Lukaku
Carlo Garganese
- Updated: 29 Jun 2022 14:46 BST
- 3 min read
Romelu Lukaku is back at Inter after just one season away, returning to San Siro on a one-year loan from Chelsea.
Lukaku signed for Chelsea from Inter in the summer of 2021 for a club record €115 million but endured a miserable 2021-22 campaign.
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He scored just eight Premier League goals, lost his place in the team and was involved in controversy off the pitch as he openly criticised manager Thomas Tuchel and declared he regretted leaving Inter.
Lukaku has now returned on a one-year loan for a fee of €8 million, plus €4m in add-ons.
But how will the Nerazzurri line up with Lukaku back?
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Inter's probable XI with Lukaku
Well, Simone Inzaghi will persist with the 3-5-2 formation which he used this past season and which Antonio Conte deployed during Lukaku’s two years at Inter from 2019 to 2021.
Andre Onana will join from Ajax on a free transfer and should be the first-choice goalkeeper, although he may rotate with veteran Samir Handanovic to start with.
The three centre-back positions are a little uncertain as Inter will probably sacrifice a big-name player this summer and it is likely to be Milan Skriniar. The Slovakian is in talks with PSG and Chelsea.
Torino’s Bremer, who was Serie A Defender of the Year last season, is expected to join Inter as replacement.
So we can predict Bremer at right centre-back, Stefan de Vrij in the middle and Alessandro Bastoni at left centre-back.
Denzel Dumfries is Inter’s first-choice right wing-back, with Robin Gosens on the opposite flank following Ivan Perisic’s free transfer to Tottenham.
In the centre of midfield, Marcelo Brozovic will be the regista with Nicolo Barella and Hakan Calhanoglu assisting him.
Then in attack, Lukaku will ideally return to recreate his prolific partnership with Lautaro Martinez.
However, Paulo Dybala is also in talks to join on a free transfer from Juventus. This opens up the possibility of all three playing together. To make that happen, Inzaghi would have to tweak the system, possibly to a 3-4-1-2 with Calhanoglu dropping out.
