Deal unlocked after the summit with Romelu’s lawyer: outright purchase, ready offer of 30 million plus bonuses. The Belgian will not retire with Chelsea
– MILAN
Romelu Lukaku has never been so close to returning to Inter. The shot is decisive, we are at the turning point, at the passage that directs the next stages. But the end of the story is tinged with Nerazzurri, yes now. It is the result of a meeting yesterday between Steven Zhang’s club and Sebastien Ledure, the Belgian lawyer who – just like a year ago – plays the double role of agent for the attacker but also of intermediary in the negotiations with Chelsea. During the chat, the Inter managers communicated to Ledure their intention to buy Lukaku’s card outright, just as requested by the London club.
SCENARIO
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It’s an important acceleration. And it is no coincidence that it arrived yesterday. That is precisely on the day in which the Chelsea manager, Mauricio Pochettino, officially declared: «Lukaku must return here on July 12 or 13 (the 12th to be exact, ed). If he’s still one of our players that day, the first thing he has to do is come to my office to say hello, that’s what I expect.” It will not happen. Lukaku will not be in London on Wednesday. He wouldn’t have gone anyway, even at the cost of forcing his hand and incurring a fine. But he will not go, much more simply, because that day negotiations for the purchase of the player by Inter will already be underway. In fact, it is probable that Ledure will officially start talks with the Blues at the beginning of next week. But, in fact, it is as if the negotiation had already started yesterday. Inter are willing to buy the Belgian striker outright. For two reasons. The first, the clearest: Chelsea have not only closed on the loan – a story known for days now – but also on the loan with conditional redemption, for example in the Champions League qualification, one of the hypotheses that had been put on the table initially. The Blues could only accept a loan with an obligation to buy. But in financial terms – here’s the second reason – little or nothing changes for Inter between this last formula and the definitive deal. Might as well, then, proceed with the lunge with the latest formula, the one preferred by the Blues. At what number? Chelsea have not received other offers of 50 million euros, those put on the plate by Al Hilal for Lukaku. Even in London they have evidently become aware that no other similar proposals will arrive. Inter would not like to go beyond the 30 million mark. But reasonably, the fixed part must be accompanied by substantial bonuses, linked to the club’s objectives – Champions League qualification, Scudetto, European path -, to get as close as possible to the 40 quota. still has to be found, since yesterday for the first time Inter and Chelsea are in agreement on the modality of the deal.
TIMES
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It is as if all the parties involved, for the first time, have become aware that there can be no other ending than Lukaku’s return to Inter. The architrave on which everything rests is Romelu’s iron will to remain in the Nerazzurri. Will that the player reconfirmed just yesterday through his lawyer, a step that was necessary both to reject the Al Hilal court but also to reject the polls of other European clubs, which also took place in the last few weeks. Lukaku wants Inter and he will have it, Inzaghi wants Lukaku and he will have it. The timings? By mid-next week, as stated in the piece opposite, Inter will have pocketed the money from the sale of Onana. Romelu, like all the other internationals, should return to Inzaghi’s disposal from 16 July. Here: around that date, therefore the end of next week, Inter want to close the matter. And treat yourself, at that point, to a full attack with Lautaro and Thuram, waiting to understand what will happen with Correa. Inter attacks the Scudetto already in July: the message is clear.
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