Why 'furious' Inter Milan have ended their interest in Chelsea's Romelu Lukaku | OneFootball

Inter Milan have reportedly ended their interest in Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku, seemingly bringing to an end a back-and-forth transfer saga that has been going on for the better part of two years.

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The 30-year-old originally left the San Siro to rejoin the Blues in August 2021 in a £97.5 million deal. However, his return to Stamford Bridge wasn't a successful one - and within months the Belgian striker was angling for a return to Inter.

Lukaku ultimately saw out the 2021/22 season with Chelsea, but delivered just eight Premier League goals throughout the campaign.

It was hardly the sort of impact that the west London side had been hoping for when they parted with almost £100m for his services, so it was no surprise to see the player loaned back to Inter last summer.

Lukaku wasn't the same force that he had been in his first spell in Italy, but still managed to find the back of the net on 14 occasions as Simone Inzaghi's men claimed a domestic cup double and reached the final of the Champions League.

Per the Daily Mail, a fee of £32m - including add-ons - had been agreed between the two sides to make the deal permanent, and it was widely expected that £40m-rated Lukaku would soon be officially confirmed as an Inter player once again.

However, over the last 24 hours, relations between Lukaku and Inter have soured to the point that the Serie A side have walked away from the deal.

Why have Inter Milan ended their interest in Romelu Lukaku?

In a soap opera-style saga that has played out on the front of national newspapers in Italy, Inter are said to have discovered that Lukaku's advisers had held secret talks with Juventus - and, understandably, were furious about it.

Lukaku was even accused of dodging Inter's phone calls while he waited to hear back from Juventus.

Italian outlet Sky Sport report that the Juve negotiations began while Inter were preparing for the Champions Final last month, something this is said to have left club director Piero Ausilio feeling 'truly embittered'.

When Lukaku contacted Ausilio to find out where he stood with Inter after the news broke, he was promptly told that the club had no further interest in him. The entire conversation is believed to have lasted less than 30 seconds.

Where does this leave Lukaku ahead of the 2023/24 season?

Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport branded Lukaku's situation as 'a mess' on their front page on Saturday - and it's tough to argue with that assessment.

Chelsea are reportedly keen to cut ties with the player this summer - with renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano suggesting that new Blues' boss Mauricio Pochettino has never actually spoken to Lukaku. The Belgian will not travel with the squad on their pre-season tour of the USA.

Given that Inter have distanced themselves from a move at frightening speed, the frontman's best chance of a Stamford Bridge exit may yet lie with Juventus.

Even that option is not without its challenges though.

While Chelsea have agreed a fee with Juventus for Lukaku, the Turin side's interest rests on their ability to sell Dusan Vlahovic before August 4. It has already been confirmed that the Premier League outfit are not interested in a Lukaku-Vlahovic swap deal, despite rumours to the contrary in some quarters.

With less than a month to go until the new Premier League season gets underway, Lukaku finds himself facing an uncertain future - and it appears to be much of his own making.