Romelu Lukaku will complete his loan move to Inter Milan by Thursday, according to reports, after a deal was struck between Chelsea and the Italian club.
The Belgium international departed San Siro to re-join Chelsea for a club record £97.5 million last summer, but he will head back to Italy less than a year later after a difficult 2021/22 campaign.
Sky Italia reports that Lukaku will be in Milan to complete a medical and sign a deal this week, as the Serie A giants need to complete the move before Thursday 30 June for tax reasons.
Lukaku is in Sardinia on holiday at the moment, but no issues are expected to hold up the move further.
The Belgian was Chelsea’s top scorer last season with 15 goals in 44 appearances in all competitions, but he struggled to find his best form under Thomas Tuchel.
A return to Milan, where the 29-year-old won the Serie A title in 2020/21 and excelled over two years under Antonio Conte, could reignite his career once more.
Sky Sports reported last week that Lukaku will join Inter on a one-year deal worth £10.3m, made up of a £6.9m fee and £3.4m in bonuses.
All his wages will be paid by Inter, but the striker has agreed to reduce his salary by 30 per cent to around £7m per year after tax.
The forward’s exit could pave the way for some new faces arriving at Stamford Bridge, and there has been no shortage of names linked.
Man City winger Raheem Sterling is said to be of interest to the Blues, who are looking at bringing in six new signings in the summer transfer window.
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