Aston Villa have allegedly identified Chelsea forward Romelu Lukaku as a potential transfer target.
Having endured a mixed first year at Stamford Bridge, the £97.5m signing was allowed to return to Inter Milan on a loan deal for 2022-23.
While it was initially felt like the extension of the temporary agreement would be a formality, the 29-year-old has struggled on his return to San Siro.
Lukaku has scored just five times in 10 starts and nine substitute outings, the majority of those appearances coming since the World Cup after missing the majority of the first half of the campaign through injury.
Although a strong end to the season may change the situation, Inter CEO Giuseppe Marotta revealed last week that the Italian giants will not be pursuing a permanent deal.
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Speaking to Sky Italia, Marotta said: "The loan was for one season so on June 30 regardless of how well he plays, he'll go back to Chelsea.
"Lukaku hasn't found the fitness he needs to play his best football. He's still not at his best or the player we got to see in years gone by."
According to TodoFichajes, Villa are monitoring the situation ahead of potentially making contact with Chelsea over a transfer.
The report suggests that while Villa are 'attentive' to the situation, they do not necessarily rate their chances of pulling off a deal.
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As it stands, Villa sit in 11th position in the Premier League standings, four points off the European qualification spots having played more games than the teams in those positions.
Nevertheless, the West Midlands outfit have improved considerably under Unai Emery, with 10 points coming from a possible 12 most recently.
Leading marksman Ollie Watkins is regarded as first choice down the middle of the attack, but Villa's current backup to the England international is 19-year-old Jhon Duran, who has yet to make a top-flight start.
Chelsea are likely to request a substantial fee if they are to part ways with Lukaku in the summer, although a compromise may be required by all parties.
Darren Plant
