Chelsea are expected to complete a deal for Romelu Lukaku in the next 24 hours.
The Blues interest in Lukaku has been public knowledge for some time. Thomas Tuchel’s side struggled for goals last season with no player getting close to double digits in the Premier League last campaign. Scoring has not been a problem for Lukaku in recent years, though, with the forward managing an impressive 47 Serie A strikes over the past two seasons.
As 90min reported earlier this week, Chelsea are increasingly confident in getting a deal done with owner Roman Abramovich particularly keen on the move. They have already had an £85m plus Marcos Alonso bid turned down, but now seem set to reach an agreement.
According to the Daily Mail, the transfer should be finalised by the weekend. It is understood that Chelsea will be offering a mammoth £95m plus add-ons bid for the player, which is likely to be accepted by Inter chairman Steven Zhang.
Personal terms should not be a problem either. Although Lukaku has enjoyed his time in Milan he is open to returning to Chelsea, whom he left back in 2014. The striker could be made one of the Premier League’s highest earners too, with the Blues prepared to offer him as much as £350,000 per week.
Earlier in the window, Chelsea had been eyeing up a move for Erling Haaland. However, 90min understands that due to Borussia Dortmund’s insistence that he would not be sold, they have focussed their efforts on Lukaku.
Inter wanted to keep their star man but off-field matters necessitated the sale. The club are in dire financial straits and need to cut the wage budget by around 15% before the start of the season. Scudetto-winning manager Antonio Conte has already departed, alongside star right-back Achraf Hakimi.
Further sales can be expected with Lautaro Martinez being linked with a move to Atletico Madrid and Arsenal.
Source : 90min