Chelsea set to sign Romelu Lukaku for club record €115m - reports

Belgian striker expected to return for second spell at Stamford Bridge

Romelu Lukaku has been training with Inter Milan during pre-season but now looks set to join Chelsea. Getty

Chelsea are closing in on a deal to re-sign Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku after making a breakthrough in negotiations with Inter Milan, according to multiple reports.

The European Champions have already had a bid of €100 million ($117.6m) plus Spanish full-back Marcos Alonso rejected by Inter but a new offer of €115m without Alonso is set to be accepted.

Lukaku, 28, has reportedly requested Inter to accept a bid from Chelsea and is set to sign a five-year contract with the club he joined from Anderlecht as a teenager in 2011.

Lukaku struggled to break into the first team during his first spell at Stamford Bridge, despite successful loan spells at West Brom and Everton. The Belgian joined the latter permanently in 2014 for a club record £28m ($38.8m) and after three prolific seasons, moved to Manchester United for £75m, opting for a move to Old Trafford over a return to Chelsea.

Two seasons later, Lukaku joined Inter for a club record €80m and helped fire the club to the Serie A title last season. However, Inter's financial troubles have forced them to listen to offers for some of their key players. Moroccan full-back Achraf Hakimi has already moved to Paris Saint-Germain for €60m.

Lukaku's impending return to Chelsea brings an end to the club's search for a centre-forward having struggled for goals last season. Central midfielder Jorginho was Chelsea's highest goalscorer during the 2020/21 Premier League campaign with seven - all of them penalties.

Lukaku will become Chelsea's record signing, far eclipsing the €80m the Blues spent to sign German Kai Havertz from Bayer Leverkusen last summer.

His arrival could spell the end for England international Tammy Abraham, who has fallen down the pecking order at Chelsea since Thomas Tuchel's appointment in January.