Chelsea owner Todd Boehly ‘could personally verify sending Romelu Lukaku on loan TOMORROW’

Chelsea owner Todd Boehly will reportedly speak with Thomas Tuchel on either Wednesday or Thursday of this week to verify Romelu Lukaku’s temporary departure from Stamford Bridge. 

Lukaku has been strongly linked with a return to Italy after struggling to cement a regular place in the Chelsea XI following his club-record £97.5million transfer last summer. 

The 29-year-old striker has four years left on his contract at Stamford Bridge but he has made it clear he would be interested in returning to Serie A to play for his former side Inter Milan.  

Inter cannot afford to buy Lukaku back from the Premier League giants on a permanent basis. Therefore, they are looking to negotiate a loan deal with the London-based club.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Tuchel will sit down with Boehly on either Wednesday or Thursday to discuss a potential loan deal for Lukaku. 

The Italian news outlet claims Boehly will approve the Belgium striker’s departure as long as it financially viable.  

The Chelsea owner will approve the Belgium striker’s departure as long as it financially viable

Lukaku is said to have a private jet on standby to take him to Italy as soon as Boehly approves his loan spell.

Should Boehly decline the move, Lukaku will reportedly ask to meet with the American owner to discuss his future at the club.

Meanwhile, Inter are looking to reach an agreement with Chelsea before the end of June to take advantage of the Growth Decree rule. 

The scheme lets teams in Italy buy players from abroad with significant tax breaks, as long as they stay in the country for at least 24 months. 

Lukaku has been linked with a return to Italy after falling out of favour under Thomas Tuchel

Lukaku, who is reportedly willing to take a 50 per cent pay cut to facilitate a switch back to Italy, was asked about his future while away on international duty. 

Ahead of Belgium’s 4-1 defeat to Holland on Friday, reporters asked the 29-year-old whether he would be would be returning to Italy this summer. 

The striker – who limped off injured during the Nations League fixture – remained tight-lipped, telling the press he ‘can’t talk about the future’.

However, Lukaku previously expressed his desire to return to Inter Milan in a bombshell Sky Italia interview at the end of December 2021.

Lukaku sparked controversy by implying he would leave Chelsea to rejoin his former club. He said: ‘I don’t think any of it [his departure] should have happened the way it did.

Lukaku began his second spell at Chelsea by scoring against rivals Arsenal back in August

He then picked up an ankle injury during Chelsea’s 4-0 Champions League win over Malmo

‘The way I left Inter and the way I communicated with the Inter fans. I’m annoyed about that because it’s not the right time now but it wasn’t the right time when I left either.

‘I always said that I love Inter and I’ll play for them again. I really hope so. I fell in love with Italy. Now is the right time to talk about it and tell people what really happened, without saying anything bad about anyone, because I’m not like that.

‘I want to really apologise to the Inter fans because I don’t think I should have left Inter the way I did. I should have spoken to you guys first, especially after everything you did for me, for my family, my mum, my son. I’ll never forget that.

‘I hope from the bottom of my heart to go back to Inter and not at the end of my career but when I’m still at a good enough level to win more trophies.’ 

Lukaku fell down the pecking order while injured and struggled to get back into the team

Lukaku said while away on international duty that he could not discuss his future at Chelsea 

Lukaku initially hit the ground running when he returned to Chelsea last summer. He scored four goals in his first four appearances before falling out of favour. 

The 29-year-old picked up an ankle injury during the first half of Chelsea’s 4-0 Champions League win over Malmo.

He spent a month on the sidelines before returning to the squad at the end of November. However, his transition back into the starting XI was far from smooth. 

Tuchel began to favour a false-nine attacking system that included Kai Havertz. As a result, Lukaku found himself warming the bench more often than not.