Marotta: ‘Inter would have taken Lukaku, even with Thuram’ | OneFootball

Inter CEO Beppe Marotta has claimed that Inter still would have liked to have had Roma’s Chelsea loanee Romelu Lukaku on board for the 2023-24 season, even after picking up Marcus Thuram on a free transfer at the beginning of the summer window.

The Nerazzurri director spoke at the LUISS university in Rome on Friday, where he revealed that it was the club’s contention to have all of Lukaku, Thuram and leading goalscorer Lautaro Martinez involved this campaign, before the deal for the Belgian collapsed in dramatic fashion.

Lukaku had been on loan at San Siro for the 2021-22 campaign, and had of course played for Inter permanently between 2019 and 2021.

The club had tried to bring him in on loan from Chelsea for another season, but the move collapsed when it was revealed Lukaku had also been in talks with rivals Juventus.

Currently on loan with Roma, Lukaku is the Giallorossi’s leading goalscorer with 15 in all competitions. His nine league strikes rank him as the joint-sixth highest goalscorer in Serie A this season, just behind Thuram on 10, but still a way off Lautaro Martinez, who has 20.

“We would have taken him (Lukaku) anyway, even with Thuram,” Marotta told listeners during his Q&A session in Rome on Friday, as reported by ANSA and Calciomercato.com.

“If Lukaku had accepted, we would have found ourselves with him, Lautrao and Thuram.

“That said, maybe there wouldn’t have been the same chemistry that we see today between Marucs and Lautaro. So, put vulgarly, the hypothetical is bulls***.”

Inter not having Lukaku has proved not to be a significant burden for coach Simone Inzaghi, the team, powered by Thuram and Lautaro Martinez in attack, sit seven points clear at the top of the Serie A table with a game in hand after 25 rounds of league fixtures.