Manchester United are in rebuilding mode right now. Players will arrive, while some key pieces may leave.
Amongst those rumoured with a potential exit this summer is Romelu Lukaku. Late last night, the usually reliable Gianluca Di Marzio gave us a major update on the future of United’s striker.
Apparently, a first offer for the star 26-year-old has been made by Inter Milan. Di Marzio writes that a £9million, two-year loan fee is on the table, with the Serie A giants holding the obligation to buy Lukaku outright for £53million. In all, the deal will cost Inter £62million.
Furthermore, the 20-time Premier League champions have ‘given signs’ that they’re ‘open’ to selling Lukaku this summer and talks will begin over a proposed transfer fee for the #9.
This is a tough situation to work out. Lukaku’s 42 goals in 96 games is an excellent record, although the lack of an all-round game, coupled with poor big-match performances, mean he is somewhat dispensable.
I’m not convinced United will go for a two-year loan deal, though. It means they wouldn’t be able to re-invest the money into the playing squad until the summer of 2021, while the Reds would also likely demand a higher fee. Don’t forget they paid £75million to sign Lukaku from Everton in 2017, do you really think they’d be happy to lose £13million on a striker right in the middle of his prime?
For me, this deal doesn’t get done until Inter Milan sell players and come back with a suitable offer to purchase Lukaku outright. This saga could drag out for the whole summer, and it’ll be intriguing to see what happens when Inter and United meet on pre-season tour next month.
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