Chelsea’s surprise pursuit of Romelu Lukaku could net Premier League rivals Manchester United a transfer windfall this summer.
The Blues are desperate to sign a new striker ahead of the upcoming season after Timo Werner’s struggles following his move from RB Leipzig.
The German scored just six goals in the Premier League last term, with Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel making the position a priority this summer as he looks to launch a title challenge.
Tuchel’s top target had been Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland after the Norwegian emerged as one of the best forwards in Europe following his performances in the Bundesliga.
But a deal for Haaland has proved to be hard to negotiate, with Dortmund adamant that they wanted to keep the 21-year-old at Signal Iduna Park for at least another season.
That led to Tuchel turning his eye to other targets, with Lukaku emerging as a surprise name following a starring role in Inter Milan’s Serie A title win.
He scored 24 goals in 36 top-flight appearances last season as Inter ended their decade long wait for a Scudetto.
It took him to 64 goals in total in the two years since he joined the San Siro side from United in a £68millon move.
The Italian champions are in a precarious financial state, which has already seen them lose manager Antonio Conte.
But according to The Telegraph, Inter will hold out for a fee of £100m from the Blues, even rejecting an offer that included Marcos Alonso moving to the club in part-exchange for Lukaku.
While it is stated that Chelsea are hopeful of bringing that asking price down, if Inter hold out then United could be in for a substantial windfall.
Belgian international Lukaku previously spent two seasons at Old Trafford following a £75m move from Everton.
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But he was moved on to Inter after struggling to convince he could provide the goals required for the Red Devils to challenge for the Premier League title.
According to The Telegraph, when they sold him to Inter, they included a sell-on clause in the deal that will net them around £5m if Lukaku does move on for his current valuation.
The sell on clause reportedly entitles the Red Devils to between four and five per cent of any future sale.
United have received several boosts in their hopes of netting this small windfall, with the report stating that he will consider a proposal from Chelsea.
Lukaku has also parted company with superagent Mino Raiola, who has a tempestuous relationship with many of Europe’s top clubs.
Instead, the striker is now represented by Federico Pastorello, who is believed to enjoy a good relationship with the Blues.
While £5m would represent a relatively small fee in today’s market, it would be a welcome boost to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side.
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