Romelu Lukaku to Inter: Chelsea's three part-exchange options
James Shearman
- 8 Jun 2022 07:53 CDT
- 3 min read
Inter Milan could offer one of three senior players in return for Chelsea's Romelu Lukaku this summer.
Lukaku returned to Chelsea less than a year ago for a club-record £97.5 million, but has failed to settle at Stamford Bridge.
Signed as the striker to catapult The Blues into Premier League contention, the Belgian managed just eight league goals in the 2021-22 campaign.
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Indeed, he has been looking for a return to Inter all season, having openly discussed his love for the club back in December.
The comments on his former club even meant that he had to apologise to Chelsea fans through the club's social media channels.
Now, with the transfer window approaching, both clubs are working on a deal to get him back to San Siro.
The issue is that Inter lack the funds for a permanent transfer, or even a loan with an option to buy.
And, Chelsea refuse to send him on loan, given how much they spent on the striker last summer.
So, according to Gazzetta dello Sport, the only way forward could be a player exchange.
Here are three players that Chelsea could look to swap Lukaku for.
Alessandro Bastoni
Chelsea have actually been linked with all three of Inter's starting centre-backs over the last 12 months - Alessandro Bastoni, Milan Skriniar and Stefan de Vrij.
Alessandro Bastoni tells Rai Sport: “I have two years of my contract with Inter, so I am relaxed. The club hasn’t told me anything”. 🇮🇹 #transfers
“I am just waiting to go on vacation after this and then start pre-season with Inter”.— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 7, 2022
It appears that the Italian is ahead of his team-mates in terms of interest from other clubs, though, meaning it could prove to be more difficult to sign him.
He is probably the most indispensable of the aforementioned trio, and so Inter would be reluctant to let him go.
Lautaro Martinez
Despite the departure of leading man strike partner Lukaku, Martinez had another stellar season with Inter, scoring 25 goals across all competitions.
Out of that, 21 goals came in the league, which is his best record in Serie A.
And, over the course of his Inter career, Martinez has scored 74 goals across 181 appearances, having joined the club in the 2018-19 season.
Even though it would be a shame not to see them line up together again, Martinez would be an ideal candidate to replace Lukaku.
Milan Skriniar
Milan Skriniar has been an integral part of Inter's side since signing fir the club in 2017, making 215 appearances in all competitions.
Indeed, he was part of the back three in former Chelsea boss Antonio Conte's Serie A title-winning team in 2021.
Inter would be reluctant to let him leave, but his value is significantly lower than Bastoni's.
