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.
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.
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.
- Three standout World Cup stars proved that Man Utd should have done everything in their power to sign them
- Sir Alex Ferguson’s approach to Lisandro Martinez proves why ‘writing off’ Man Utd star is now premature
- The Man Utd coach connection behind Tynan Thompson’s big career accomplishment
- Michael Carrick could still implement Sir Alex Ferguson’s Man Utd ‘plan’ for post-World Cup, he saw it in action
- Godwill Kukonki now has extra motivation to sign a long-term Manchester United deal
- Senne Lammens already knows how to conquer his World Cup setback and answer is in his first Man Utd words
- Tynan Thompson’s transfer is not a gamble by Man Utd, £1m steal in 2025 is the success template
- Man United fans have made up their mind about selling Lisandro Martinez after his World Cup final injury
- After watching World Cup final, I saw Marcus Rashford ‘smokescreen’ lifted after £76m-rated player’s impact
- Man United have a centre-back pairing for the next decade, Michael Carrick needs to test it in pre-season
- Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo have both matched World Cup milestone of three other former Man Utd players
- Tynan Thompson’s style of play explained, what Man Utd fans can expect from wonderkid signing
- Wayne Rooney has now validated Ineos’ ‘biggest’ Man Utd decision for Michael Carrick’s permanent reign
- Man Utd have just given Michael Carrick his new Morgan Rogers by signing prolific wonderkid
- Chelsea expert makes exciting Andrey Santos prediction about Man Utd star overtaking Enzo Fernandez
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
