Romelu Lukaku is reportedly unlikely to represent Chelsea next term, with Inter Milan potentially re-signing him on a permanent deal next summer or agreeing another loan.
The Belgium international returned to Stamford Bridge in a £97.5m deal from Inter in August 2021, but he found it difficult to make his mark during his second spell with the London club, scoring just eight Premier League goals.
Lukaku returned to Inter on loan for the 2022-23 campaign, and he has scored once and provided one assist in three Serie A matches for the Italian outfit this term.
As it stands, the 29-year-old will be back at his parent club next summer, but Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio is not expecting the Belgian to represent Chelsea again.
"After what Chelsea spent just a year ago for him, in a tug-of-war with Inter, I didn't think he could come back. It was one of the cases in which the player's desire made the difference," Di Marzio told Sky Italia.
© Reuters
"Together with the change of ownership of the club. I don't think Marina Granovskaia (former Chelsea director) would have allowed him to return to the club (Inter).
"Probably, the situation the club was experiencing has favoured this market deal. After what he said and how he said it and after showing his love for Inter, I think it will be hard. How can he come back?
"How could he still play with the Chelsea shirt? He did everything to return to Inter. I think Chelsea and Inter will find the best solution, maybe another loan, but I see his return unlikely.
"And on the fact that Chelsea have spent almost £100m. In this deal, Inter paid £8m for the loan and would pay another £10m for a new loan next year. The price would then go down more and more if Inter decided to buy him back."
However, Inter CEO Giuseppe Marotta recently suggested that Lukaku could be wanted back at Stamford Bridge next year following the departure of Thomas Tuchel as head coach.
© Reuters
"It's fresh news. I don't know what the effects of the change of coach will be [for Lukaku's future]," Marotta told Sky Italia.
"We want to get the best performance out of Lukaku, and then at the end of the season we will sit down and talk about him with Chelsea. I don't know if a change of coach means that his return is automatic, it's difficult to predict today."
Lukaku, who has missed Inter's last five matches in all competitions through injury, still has another four years left to run on his contract at Stamford Bridge.
The centre-forward scored 64 goals in 95 appearances during his first two seasons at Inter, having made the move to the Serie A giants from Manchester United in 2019.
