Romelu Lukaku set for Chelsea FC medical ahead of club-record £97.5m transfer from Inter Milan

Romelu Lukaku will return to Chelsea this summer for a club-record fee
AFP via Getty Images

Romelu Lukaku will become Chelsea’s all-time record signing when he completes a £97.5million move from Inter Milan.

The Belgium international is due to undergo a medical ahead of his return to Stamford Bridge after a breakthrough in negotiations over the weekend.

And Chelsea legend Didier Drogba - who is in regular contact with Lukaku - was among the first to welcome him back to the club when tweeting on Sunday: “He’s coming home.”

Inter had been holding out for a fee in excess of £100m, which would have made Lukaku a British record signing – but the Italian giants finally relented after Chelsea’s latest bid was submitted on Saturday.

The 28-year-old, who was an academy player at Chelsea before moves to Everton and Manchester United, is expected to sign a deal for up to five years worth around £212,000-a-week before bonuses.

The European champions moved for Lukaku after attempts to sign Erling Haaland proved too difficult, with Borussia Dortmund refusing to lower their £150m asking price for the Norwegian.

Chelsea approached Inter late last month to gauge their chances of landing the striker, with the Italian champions insisting they had no intention of selling.

But Lukaku’s own desire to make the move convinced Inter to listen to offers – accepting that a bid in the region of £100m would be too good to refuse.

Negotiations moved quickly after that, with Chelsea first trying to include Marcos Alonso as a makeweight but ultimately coming up with a straight cash offer to solve what Thomas Tuchel considered a priority in this transfer window.

The German made it clear he wanted a top-class striker to mount a genuine challenge to Manchester City this season, with Harry Kane and Sergio Aguero also on his list of potential targets going into the summer.

Haaland was a long-standing target even before Tuchel’s arrival.

With the season rapidly approaching, Chelsea decided to switch their attentions, with Lukaku seen as the most viable alternative and Tuchel convinced he will add a new dimension to his attack.

The Chelsea manager was increasingly frustrated by his side’s wastefulness in front of goal last season, determining that neither Olivier Giroud nor Tammy Abraham were suitable to lead the line.

Giroud was sold to AC Milan this summer and Abraham will be allowed to leave if a club meets Chelsea’s £40m valuation.

Atalanta are among the clubs interested in offering the England forward a route out of Stamford Bridge.

Tuchel also wants a centre-back before the transfer window closes, with Sevilla’s Jules Kounde a leading target.

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