CHELSEA will have to fork out a nine-figure fee to land Romelu Lukaku from Inter Milan this summer.
Reports in Italy outline the Serie A champions’ asking price of £102.5million for their star striker.
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Inter are set to defend their Scudetto title next season but financial difficulties have led to player sales dominating their summer so far.
Achraf Hakimi has already left for Paris Saint-Germain with Chelsea said to be keen on Lukaku’s return to Stamford Bridge.
However, the Italians are intent on keeping their man, who has committed his future to the club.
According to Tuttosport, only a bid topping the £100m mark would make them consider selling Lukaku, 28.
Inter paid a club-record £68m to sign the Belgian in 2019 and he has rewarded them with at least 30 goals in both his seasons in Milan.
And the Nerazzurri have reportedly repaid him with a salary boost from £125,000 to £140,000-a-week for the new campaign.
Chelsea are hunting down a new striker this summer to build a Premier League title challenge under Thomas Tuchel.
Borussia Dortmund star Erling Haaland is thought to top the Blues’ transfer wishlist.
However a fee of £150m is being demanded by the Bundesliga side, who have reportedly rejected an offer to send Callum Hudson-Odoi and Tammy Abraham the other way.
A bid of £135m could be next although the 21-year-old is expected to be available for around half that when a release clause kicks in next year.
Either way, the club would have to smash their wage structure to land Haaland.
SunSport revealed earlier this month that Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski has been eyed by Chelsea as a cheaper alternative.
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