Revealed: The pay cut Lukaku is willing to take to end Chelsea nightmare

Karan Tejwani

• 2 Jun 2022 09:32 CDT
• 3 min read

Romelu Lukaku is eager to leave Chelsea after a troubled second spell at Stamford Bridge, following his return last summer in a club record £97 million deal.

The Belgian didn’t adapt to Chelsea’s style under Thomas Tuchel, even admitting it in an interview, and spent much of the second half of the campaign out of the starting eleven.

This has prompted talks of a move away from the club, as he hopes to put an end to his time at Chelsea, however, this will be difficult considering the cost of the operation.

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To make a permanent transfer possible, Chelsea will want to recoup most of the fee they paid for Lukaku last year, which will be difficult for many clubs across Europe.

Inter's terms over a possible Lukaku return

His most likely destination is former club Inter, and Lukaku’s agents and lawyers have been in contact with the Nerazzurri over a possible return to the club over the summer.

It was reported that his lawyers met with Inter’s management last month to discuss the possibility of a deal, and that Lukaku would have to take a pay cut to return to the club.

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Lukaku has agreed to a wage of £6.4 million annually, lower than the £10.2 million plus £2.5 million in add-ons he earns at Stamford Bridge.

Gazzetta added that there were two more conditions to the deal, told to Lukaku’s lawyer Sebastien Ledure: first, that a deal should be completed before the end of June, and secondly, that there be clarity over the deal by the middle of June.

Inter also made it clear that considering their financial situation, only a loan move would be possible if Lukaku is to return to the San Siro.

In his stint at Inter between 2019 and 2021, Lukaku scored 64 goals in 95 appearances for the club and had a starring role as they won Serie A in 2020-21, which was their first domestic title since 2010.