Chelsea determined to re-sign Romelu Lukaku despite Inter having rejected a second offer of £85m, which would have also seen left-back Marcos Alonso move to Serie A club; Inter are expected to agree to sell Lukaku if Chelsea offer a deal worth £102m (€120m)
Friday 6 August 2021 17:19, UK
Chelsea and Inter Milan were locked in talks on Friday as they tried to agree a transfer deal for Romelu Lukaku.
The negotiations are expected to lead to Chelsea making an improved third bid for the Belgium striker.
Chelsea's second bid of £85m plus Marcos Alonso was rejected by Inter on Monday.
The latest talks are centred on finding a compromise that would satisfy all parties, with a cash deal paid in instalments and a cash-plus-player deal being discussed.
Chelsea would prefer a deal that includes player(s) while Inter would prefer a cash-only deal, but both parties are working towards a quick resolution.
Inter are expected to agree to sell Lukaku if the reigning European champions offer a deal worth £102m (€120m).
Sky Sports News reported on Wednesday Lukaku has told Inter he would like them to accept a suitable offer for him from his former club.
Premier League rivals Manchester City had also registered their interest in signing the 28-year-old earlier this year, but no offer was made as Inter showed no intention of selling at the time.
Sky Sports News reporter Dharmesh Sheth:
"It's a very good question as Chelsea were very interested in Haaland. Who knows, they could still be interested. Could you see a situation where they could try to break the bank by bringing in Haaland and Romelu Lukaku? That seems unlikely.
"This could drag on into next summer. Borussia Dortmund have said there's no gentleman's agreement with Haaland as there was with Jadon Sancho. All of the noises coming out of Germany are saying Dortmund won't sell both those players in the same transfer window.
"Haaland has a release clause that kicks in next summer. With Man City in for Harry Kane and Chelsea in for Lukaku, where does that leave those two clubs with regards to Haaland? Maybe they both feel they could pair those players with Haaland but next summer there will be more clubs who could afford him."
You can follow all the latest transfer news and rumours in our dedicated Transfer Centre blog on Sky Sports' digital platforms, as well as keeping track of all the developments on Sky Sports News.
