Chelsea will reportedly insist on receiving a bare minimum of a £20m loan fee if Romelu Lukaku is to depart Stamford Bridge this summer.
Having contributed just 15 goals from 44 appearances in his first season back in West London, Lukaku is being tipped to return to Inter Milan.
However, a reunion is far from a formality, the Italian giants in no position to sign the 29-year-old on a permanent deal as they look to meet FFP regulations.
Despite the complexities of any negotiations, it has been widely reported that the relevant parties will attempt to thrash out a deal which suits all parties.
According to The Telegraph, however, Chelsea have no intention of parting ways with their club-record signing unless they receive a loan fee of £20m.
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The Premier League side are also likely to push for Inter signing Lukaku on a permanent basis in 2023, although that, in theory, appears to be something that I Nerazzurri's hierarchy may be against at the current time.
Lukaku is said to be willing to take a pay cut in a bid to secure a second stint at San Siro, his first period at the club involving a Serie A title triumph.
Throughout this week, alternatives have been suggested with Bayern Munich and Barcelona both said to regarded as potential destinations if Inter cannot strike an agreement with Chelsea.
In the case of Bayern, they will require a replacement for Robert Lewandowski if they are willing to sell the want-away Polish forward before his contract expires in 2023.
The German giants are expected to demand in excess of £30m for their legendary player, a fee which could be used to support any proposal for Lukaku.
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As it stands, Lewandowski is said to only have eyes for Barcelona, but the Catalan side are currently not in a position to meet Bayern's valuation.
That has seemingly led to Barcelona also monitoring any developments with Lukaku, a loan agreement for the well-travelled player potentially proving an attractive proposition.
Lukaku is currently representing his country in the UEFA Nations League and sustained an injury against the Netherlands on Friday which led to his withdrawal before the half-hour mark.
However, that setback is unlikely to hinder any attempt from either party to engineer a transfer this summer.
Darren Plant
