Inter Milan’s incompetence helps Chelsea make transfer decisions

Antonio Conte’s Inter Milan recently ran away with the Scudetto, winning Serie A over arch-rival AC Milan by 12 points. It was Conte’s first trophy since departing Chelsea back in 2018. Since the Italian’s sacking, the Blues have been managed by three different men—Maurizio Sarri, Frank Lampard and now, Thomas Tuchel. While Tuchel has lived up to his world class designation at Stamford Bridge, some fans cannot help but ask “what if?” in regards to Conte’s time in west London.

The whole story comes full circle when one considers the fact that Romelu Lukaku—a one-time Chelsea player and subsequent target in 2017—led Conte’s side to winning Italy’s top flight. Meanwhile, the Blues still have yet to find a long-term solution at the No. 9 position since Conte forced Diego Costa out prior to the 2017/18 campaign. Unfortunately, not everything that glitters is gold in the world’s fashion capital. Conte and Inter parted ways on Wednesday after the club’s hierarchy informed the manager it would have to raise €80 million in funds by selling a handful of key players. This break-up is nothing but music to Chelsea’s ears as the transfer window approaches.

The Blues will remarkably be playing in a Champions League final on Saturday. The reason it’s so extraordinary is because they went the entire season without a reliable goalscorer. Chelsea’s domestic campaign came to a close on Sunday as Tuchel’s men secured a top four position and its place in next year’s Champions League—another incredible achievement. Jorginho topped the Blues’ goalscoring charts with seven league goals (all from the penalty spot), which is quite absurd considering the £150+ million spent on attacking prospects last summer. Further, Chelsea’s leading scorer in the Champions League is Olivier Giroud with six goals. That tally seems decent until one takes into account four of those goals came in a single match against Sevilla.

To put it lightly, the Blues struggle to score goals. A proper center forward has been identified as Chelsea’s No. 1 priority during the upcoming transfer window. Names like Erling Haaland and Harry Kane have been floating around, but there is one individual who has always seemed more likely than the rest: Lukaku.

Romelu Lukaku’s return to Chelsea would solve the Blues’ attacking issues.

The biggest obstacle with a potential transfer for the Belgian was his relationship with his manager. Lukaku and Conte have been seemingly inseparable over the last two years; it’s no secret the gaffer has always been keen on the physical striker. However, now that Conte has officially split with Inter, Lukaku has no real reason to stick around. There is always the slim possibility that Lukaku waits for Conte’s next destination and follows him there, but nobody truly knows when the 51-year-old will take another managerial gig. Therefore, Lukaku to Chelsea is going to be the hottest rumor around in the coming weeks.

As previously mentioned, Lukaku is a former blue. He never got a true chance to leave his mark before departing for Everton in 2014. The Blues have been forced to watch his development from afar. The now-28-year-old wanted to join Conte’s Chelsea back in 2017, but Mino Raiola and his entourage undermined the player and secured a switch to Old Trafford instead. Lukaku is potentially about to hit the open market once again though, this time with different representatives.

Simply put, this move makes too much sense for the Blues not to make. They need a proven goalscorer and chance creator, who better than a Premier League-tested striker who netted 30 goals and had 10 assists in 44 games this season? Inter will likely demand a hefty fee for the Belgian, but given the club’s financial crises, Chelsea could get away with a low-ball offer. If Marina Granovskaia was smart—which we know she is—she should’ve been on the phone offering to pay off Inter’s €80 million (£69.1 million) debt with one move the second Conte’s departure was made official.

The Blues need Lukaku and it’d be hard to imagine Lukaku not wanting to make a fairytale return to one of his boyhood clubs. It’s basically written in the stars. Strikers such as Kane and Haaland are fantastic options, but there is only one course of action from here on out. Chelsea needs to set its sights on Lukaku. The Blues cannot let up until the Belgian puts pen to paper and is holding up the new Nike kit for a photo op, complete with “Lukaku 9” on the back. Signing the Inter Milan man would give the Champions League finalists a whole new weapon to work with in attack.

Do you think Chelsea should pursue Lukaku this summer? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!