Romelu Lukaku to Inter: How much money will Chelsea make?
Carlo Garganese
- Updated: 12 Jun 2022 16:48 BST
- 3 min read
Chelsea would likely have to contribute to over half of Romelu Lukaku’s salary if he is to return to Inter next season, while the Italian side would only be able to afford him on a one-year loan.
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 and Chelsea are now in talks over a return to Inter, but any possible deal will not be easy to complete.
Can Inter afford Lukaku?
For starters, Inter do not have the money to either permanently sign Lukaku or to pay his current salary.
Lukaku could only move back to Inter on a one-year loan but in order for Chelsea to not register a capital loss on their accounts, they would have to receive a loan fee of around €25m.
That €25m represents the amortised value of one year of Lukaku’s transfer fee on the books.
Inter would not be prepared to pay such a high figure for a short loan given they reportedly need to make €60m profit in the transfer market this summer in order to balance the books.
They could, however, offer Chelsea a player on loan in exchange for Lukaku’s loan. Stefan de Vrij (who would first have to extend his contract at Inter) and Denzel Dumfries are two players who have been suggested. This would mean that the (loan) fee Inter end up paying Chelsea is far less than €25m. Perhaps €5-10m.
Unless a deal such as this is done, it is difficult to see how Inter can bring Lukaku back – unless Chelsea agree to make a record-breaking loss on a player they signed for a club record fee a year ago.
Chelsea wages: How much does each player earn?
In addition, Inter cannot afford Lukaku €19.8m-a-year wages.
If the Belgian does eventually move on loan to Inter, then Chelsea would have to contribute to around half of that salary if he is to stay on his current wage.
Lukaku has, however, communicated that he is prepared to take a paycut which could ease the costs on both Inter and Chelsea. Either way, Inter cannot afford to pay a double-digit annual salary.
Financially, this is a hard transfer to make happen but what is clear is that Lukaku is desperate to return to Inter.
