Inter Milan Will Extend Romelu Lukaku Loan From Chelsea On One Condition

Romelu Lukaku will likely only be able to stay at Inter next season if Chelsea are willing to waive the loan fee for him.

This according to Italian news outlet FCInterNews, who report that the door is not completely shut for the 29-year-old to remain past the end of his current loan spell, but that he cannot return on another paid loan and that he’ll also have to reduce his wages.

Given that Lukaku’s loan from Chelsea runs out at the end of June, the Nerazzurri have always looked likely to have to make a decision about whether or not to retain the striker in spite of what has turned out to be a fairly disappointing season back at the club.

Today the Gazzetta dello Sport reported that Inter will not bring Lukaku back for another season, and that their decision is all but made.

According to FCIN, this is not quite true.

The outlet reports that it is true that Lukaku’s underwhelming performances this season have certainly made it so that as things stand the Nerazzurri are not inclined to extend his loan past the end of the campaign.

However, there are still a few more weeks in which to make an impact for the 29-year-old, who is now fully fit again.

Moreover, FCIN notes, the financial question is likely to play a decisive role in whether or not Inter loan Lukaku again.

Last summer, the Nerazzurri paid around €20 million to bring back Lukaku, between the loan fee (€8 million plus €2 million in add-ons) and his wages, which they benefit from the Growth Decree on in terms of the total gross amount with taxes.

This is considered to be far too much of an outlay for what the club have received from the striker on the pitch.

Accordingly, Inter would have little intend of bringing Lukaku back on another paid loan deal.

Accordingly, it could be up to the player to push for another loan, this time without a fee, just as he had managed to push through a paid loan deal last season.

Moreover, the Gazzetta notes, there is little question that the 29-year-old would also have accept lower wages than what he currently earns.

This would be all the more the case if the Nerazzurri miss out on the Champions League next season, in which case the lack of revenues from Europe’s top club competition would undeniably have a big effect on their financial plans.