Staying at the San Siro? Romelu Lukaku certainly hopes so – AFP/Gabriel Bouys
Inter Milan have indicated a willingness to pay £25 million, plus bonuses, for Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku.
Chelsea have already turned down one offer from Inter and late on Wednesday night claimed the club were yet to receive an ‘official’ second bid.
But sources in Italy believe Inter have now launched a second bid to sign Lukaku, although it appears they are still some way short of Chelsea’s £40 million valuation.
Negotiations between the clubs are said to be ongoing, with Lukaku hoping a deal can be agreed this week.
Chelsea pushed Lukaku’s projected return to pre-season training back to next Monday, but the Belgian has no intention of flying back to London this summer.
Lukaku is adamant that he wants to return to Inter, where he spent last season on loan, and has so far ignored interest from Saudi Arabia and is not interested in a move to Juventus.
That has backed Chelsea into a corner over the future of of the striker with the 30-year-old also willing to take a pay cut of £1 million-a-year to move back to Inter.
Were Lukaku to return to Chelsea next Monday, then he would almost certainly be left off the club’s pre-season tour to the United States and would instead be told to train at Cobham.
But the Belgian will not travel back if a move back to Inter is not agreed and all parties are aiming to reach a resolution before next Monday to avoid any potential conflict.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Hakim Ziyech have also been given until next Monday to return to training as Chelsea attempt to sell the pair.
Like Lukaku, Aubameyang and Ziyech had originally been scheduled to return to training on Wednesday.
Callum Hudson-Odoi is thought to be training away from Chelsea’s main group after deciding that he wants to leave the club permanently and returning for pre-season last week.
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