Chelsea are interested in signing Romelu Lukaku and it is a bittersweet situation for Manchester United.

The Telegraph report Chelsea would have to pay £100 million to sign the striker they sold for £28 million in 2014.

Chelsea tried to sign Lukaku in 2017 before Manchester United won the race, leaving the Blues to settle for Alvaro Morata.

Truthfully neither deal worked out particularly well. Lukaku ended his spell at United as a failure, unable to take Jose Mourinho’s team to a higher level and departing without any silverware. His final season saw him score just 12 league goals.

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United sold Lukaku to Inter Milan in 2019 and he has done well there, honing his physique and starring as the main man, helping Inter to win the title.

The Telegraph report Manchester United would net around £5 million from a £100 million fee negotiated by Inter. The clause is for close to five per cent of a future sell-on fee.

This was smart business from United, as part of the £74 million fee acquired for Lukaku’s signature.

 

Rather he stays at Inter?

Chelsea moving for Lukaku will benefit United financially, and there will be mixed feelings about it.

If the Lukaku who signs for Chelsea is the United version, who struggles in big games and is unable to click consistently in the Premier League, then there might not be too much to worry about.

But you just know Lukaku give everything against United twice a season in a desperate bid to prove a point.

The media narrative will consistently question United’s decision to get rid of him, with every goal he scores. It’s a tiresome conversation and one we are quite happy to remain in Italy, rather than have to revisit each week. Forget the £5 million.

FC Internazionale v Shakhtar Donetsk: Group B - UEFA Champions League
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There is one big positive, that a move for Lukaku would rule Chelsea out of the Erling Haaland race in 2022.

Chelsea have tried to push Dortmund into selling this summer without success. If they get impatient and spend big on another striker this summer, Lukaku or otherwise, then there will be one fewer competitor battling United for Haaland next summer.

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