What is the story?
Manchester United have rejected Inter Milan's £54 million bid for Romelu Lukaku, as per reliable Sky Sports journalist Kaveh Solhekol. This rejection might force Inter's newly appointed manager Antonio Conte to turn his eyes towards other alternatives.
In case you didn't know...
Inter Milan have been keeping their eyes on the 26-year-old Belgian striker throughout the summer transfer window. Lukaku, who joined Manchester United from Everton FC for a fee of £75 million in 2017, has scored 42 goals in 96 appearances across all competitions for the Red Devils.
Before facing Manchester United on Saturday, Conte addressed those rumors and spoke about it in the pre-match press conference. Speaking to the media, Conte said:
You know I like this player,I tried to bring him in at Chelsea. But at this moment we are talking about a player from another club.
I consider him an important player for us to have a good improvement. At the same time, there is a market, we know very well our situation.
I think frustrated is a big word. He is a United player. That is the reality.
He further added:
I like this player and consider him an important player for us to have a good improvement but at the same there is a transfer market. We know very well which is our situation at the moment & we will see what happens but for now Lukaku is a United player.
The heart of the matter
As per the reports, Manchester United have rejected Inter's bid £54 million bid for their star man Romelu Lukaku. It's believed that the offer was a straight cash bid with no add-ons as a result of which the bid was rejected by the Reds.
It seems like Manchester United are likely to keep hold of Lukaku for another season. On the other hand, Conte might be forced to sign an alternative as Inter have failed to meet Lukaku's evaluation.
What's next?
Manchester United are still in the hunt for a midfielder and a centre-back. As the English transfer window is set to close on 8th August, they have to be quick to wrap up their remaining transfer businesses.