Romelu Lukaku has confirmed that he would be open to staying at Inter Milan beyond the end of his season-long loan spell from Chelsea.
The Belgian's £97.5m return to Stamford Bridge has not worked out for club or player, and he made a rod for his own back just a few months into his Stamford Bridge return.
With Thomas Tuchel at the helm, Lukaku admitted that he was yearning for a return to San Siro and struggled to adapt to the German's system amid his challenging first season back in the Premier League.
After scoring just eight goals in 26 top-flight matches during the 2021-22 campaign, Lukaku's wish was granted, but only a loan exit was sanctioned given Inter's economic struggles.
The striker's temporary move to San Siro, which cost Inter £6.9m, does not include an option or obligation to make permanent, but there have been suggestions that he could remain in Italy for another year until 2024.
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However, Nerazzurri CEO Giuseppe Marotta announced last month that Lukaku would be returning to Chelsea as planned at the end of the season, having failed to rediscover his best form for Inter.
The former Manchester United and Everton man remains contracted to Chelsea for another three seasons, but speaking to reporters at the weekend, he confirmed that he would consider a longer stay in Italy if Inter could strike a deal with Chelsea.
When directly asked if he would like to remain at San Siro for longer, Lukaku replied: "Yes, but guys you have to pay attention to those things. My goal is to give my best for Inter.
"I have an excellent relationship with the fans and I've always tried to give everything for Inter because it gave me the opportunity to win two years ago. This club has allowed me to become who I am today."
The 29-year-old was speaking after Sunday's Serie A clash with Empoli, where he scored his first brace of the season to propel Simone Inzaghi's side to a comfortable 3-0 win.
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Under Antonio Conte, Lukaku found the back of the net 24 times in the 2020-21 Serie A season to help Inter lift the title, finishing five behind Cristiano Ronaldo in the Capocannoniere charts.
However, the Belgium international has found the going a bit tougher this time around, recording just nine goals and three assists in 26 Nerazzurri contests across all competitions.
Despite Lukaku's patchy form, the Chelsea loanee came up with crucial goals in the Champions League against Porto and Benfica in the last 16 and quarter-finals respectively, as Inzaghi's side prepare to face rivals AC Milan in the final four.
Former Chelsea boss Graham Potter had opened the door for Lukaku to reignite his Blues career for the 2023-24 season, but the Englishman's sacking leaves the striker's future in limbo.
Mauricio Pochettino is now the favourite to take the manager's job in West London, and it remains to be seen if the Argentine will give Lukaku another chance in the Premier League.
Ben Knapton
