Lukaku open to wage cut as he hunts Inter return

INTER MILAN have been told Romelu Lukaku is prepared to take a pay cut worth millions if it would ease his return on loan from Chelsea. The Italian club believe he would accept a salary similar to the one he earned before leaving Milan for London last summer in a £97.5million transfer. These are understood to be net earnings in the region of £6.4m a year — about £125,000 a week — down by close to £3m a year on what he would take home after tax at Stamford Bridge. Lukaku is clearly keen to return to Italy and Inter are interested but the key remains their ability to strike a deal to satisfy Chelsea. Inter are short of cash, walking the tightrope of Financial Fair Play and under pressure to make a significant profit in the transfer window and trim the wage bill. They cannot afford to buy Lukaku and will try to negotiate a loan, well aware that Blues boss Thomas Tuchel might jump at the chance to replace him. Chelsea, however, have not received any contact from Inter or the Belgian, 29, who is on international duty. Any deal would have to work for them to recruit a suitable replacement. Lukaku has four years left on his deal and Chelsea will not write off the enormous fee. Nor will they want to top up his wages. It may have been a consideration with Roman Abramovich at the helm, but this is the start of a new regime under Todd Boehly and the Clearlake consortium. Boehly and Clearlake’s Behdad Eghbali are in London this week for meetings after completing their takeover on Monday. Bruce Buck, Chelsea’s chairman for 19 years under Abramovich, is expected to stay at the club and there will be talks this week with director Marina Granovskaia to discuss if she will stay in position for the immediate future to help the new owners this summer.