Romelu Lukaku reportedly has no intention of returning to parent club Chelsea when his loan deal at Inter Milan expires at the end of this season.
The 29-year-old is spending the 2022-23 campaign back at San Siro, having endured an underwhelming season with Chelsea following his record £98m move to Stamford Bridge from Inter Milan last year.
Lukaku scored just eight goals in 26 Premier League outings and 15 in 44 appearances across all competitions last season, losing his place in Thomas Tuchel's side towards the end of the campaign.
The Belgian international subsequently joined Inter on a one-year loan deal during the summer, and La Gazzetta dello Sport claims that he is happy in Milan and does not want to return to Chelsea.
Lukaku has suffered an injury-affected start to life back at the Italian giants, only managing three appearances so far, scoring one goal.
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Inter Milan do not have an option-to-buy clause included in their loan deal for Lukaku, but the report suggests that they plan to renew his loan deal for another season at least next summer.
Chelsea brought in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Barcelona as a replacement for Lukaku during the summer, but the 33-year-old Gabon international only signed a two-year deal at Stamford Bridge.
Lukaku's Blues contract does not expire until 2026, but Chelsea are thought to still be in the market for a more permanent, long-term successor to the Belgian.
However, new Chelsea owner Todd Boehly is understood to have strong connections to Lukaku's representatives Roc Nation, while the Premier League outfit also have a new manager at the helm since the striker's exit, with Graham Potter replacing Tuchel earlier this month.
Lukaku is expected to return from his muscle injury soon, and could even be available for Saturday's meeting with Roma, who are managed by his former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho.
Barney Corkhill
