Chelsea attacker prepared to take wage cut as European giants prepare £35m bid: Reports

UEFA Champions League finalists Inter Milan are readying an improved £35 million bid for Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku, according to The Daily Telegraph. The Belgian, meanwhile, is prepared to take a wage cut to join the Serie A club.

The Blues shelled out a whopping sum of £97.5 million to re-sign Lukaku from Inter Milan in 2021. The striker returned to Stamford Bridge following an impressive stint at the San Siro, where he bagged 64 goals and 16 assists from 95 appearances across two seasons.

However, the transfer didn't go according to plan for Lukaku as he struggled to replicate that level of form at Chelsea. The center-forward scored only 15 times in 44 games across competitions for the club in the 2021-22 season. He also landed in hot water after criticizing the-then manager Thomas Tuchel in an interview with Sky Italia.

The Blues thus loaned Lukaku back to Inter for the 2022-23 campaign. Although the Belgium international struggled in the first half of the season, he eventually regained his form, netting 14 goals and providing seven assists in 37 outings.

Inter are now looking to sign Lukaku from Chelsea permanently. However, they have struggled to agree a deal with the Premier League giants so far as they work on a tight budget. The Nerazzurri have already had a bid turned down by the striker's employers, who want £40 million.

According to the aforementioned source, the Serie A giants are preparing an improved bid for Lukaku. They are willing to offer the Stamford Bridge outfit around £35 million including add-ons. Although the proposal would still fall short of the Blues' valuation, the Italian club are hopeful of striking a deal.

Lukaku, meanwhile, is prepared to give up £1 million a year to facilitate the transfer, as per the report. The Belgian currently earns £140,000 a week after tax but is willing to accept £120,000 a week to join Inter. He has also no interest in joining the Milan-based club's rivals Juventus, although Al-Hilal remain in the mix.

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Chelsea have raised significant amount of money this summer

Chelsea have done a great job at trimming their squad this summer. They have been keen to offload several players to balance their books after spending £600 million across the last two transfer windows. The Blues have raised around £190 million from sales so far, with Kai Havertz and Mason Mount among high-profile departures.

The London giants are in line to generate more funds, with Christian Pulisic edging closer to joining Ruben Loftus-Cheek at AC Milan. The Rossoneri have agreed to pay £17 plus add-ons for the United States international, as per The Athletic. It would take the Premier League club's earnings to over £200 million this summer.

Hakim Ziyech and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could still leave Stamford Bridge. The Morocco international remains a target for Al-Nassr despite the proposed transfer initially stalling. Aubameyang, meanwhile, is wanted by Steven Gerrard's Al-Ettifaq, according to The Daily Telegraph.