Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku still appears to be on the way out, despite the Blues' change of manager.
The Belgian international was signed for £97.5m from Inter Milan in the summer of 2021, when Thomas Tuchel was still manager. He fell out of favour under the Champions League winning boss, though, and was loaned back to his former club after just one year.
Tuchel was sacked in September, with Graham Potter taking his place, prompting suggestions there might be a way back for the record signing. Instead, though, it has been suggested the London club are still attempting to cash in.
According to the Evening Standard, Chelsea are looking for buyers for a player who scored just eight Premier League goals last season, though Lukaku's recent injury woes could be an issue. Inter paid just £6.7m to wrap up the current loan agreement, and both teams (as well as the player himself) are reported to be receptive to extending his stint back at the San Siro.
The Belgian netted on his second Serie A debut for Inter, and was also on target against Viktoria Plzen in his only Champions League outing this term. A hamstring issue has limited him to just five games this season, though, and the Nerazzurri have revealed he now faces more time on the sidelines.
Inter boss Simone Inzaghi confirmed Lukaku has suffered a setback in the weekend game against Sampdoria - his first in Serie A since August. According to La Gazzetta Dello Sport (via Football Italia ) this means the striker won't play another club game before the World Cup, though he still hopes to feature in Qatar.
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Lukaku's fitness is believed to be a concern not just for Inter - who have yet to see the best of the player - but also for his parent club. A good World Cup could encourage other clubs to come in with a big-money bid, just as Chelsea themselves splashed the cash after the striker's impressive Euro 2020.
“He had a little problem with his scar when he came on in Saturday’s game," Inzaghi said ahead of Inter's Champions League game against Bayern Munich. The Serie A side are already assured of their path to the last 16, and cannot catch group leaders Bayern even if they win in Bavaria.
"There was a statement from the club he will have to rest for a few days and then he will be re-evaluated at the end of the week," the manager continued. "It’s a slowdown that we didn’t want, he was giving us a lot in this period, hopefully, we can reuse him before the break.”
