Man Utd set to buckle as Inter include unwanted star in fresh Lukaku bid
Manchester United are reportedly giving serious thought to Inter Milan’s latest attempt at signing unwanted Red Devils striker Romelu Lukaku.
Over the weekend, it was stated by multiple outlets that Manchester United have rejected Inter’s €60million offer for Lukaku, with United’s main concerns being Inter’s attempts to pay the fee over a two-year period and with a lowly first installment.
Just two years after joining the Old Trafford giants, the 26-year-old is keen to move onto pastures new and Antonio Conte is keen to bring the striker to Serie A.
The two clubs met for an International Champions Cup clash in Singapore on Saturday, but Lukaku watched from the sidelines due to his latest knock.
On the eve of the match, Inter head coach Conte confirmed his desire to sign a player he missed out on when Chelsea boss in 2017.
“I think frustrated is a big word,” he said in English when asked about the inability to complete a deal.
“Lukaku is a United player and this is the reality. You know very well that I like this player, but also in the past when I was Chelsea’s coach and I tried to bring him to Chelsea.
“But I repeat, today Lukaku is a player of United and this is the reality and this is the truth.”
But according to Italian news outlet FCInterNews, Inter have now raised their offer for Lukaku in an attempt to talk United into a deal.
They report the Nerazzurri have now contacted United with a straight €55m cash payment, with Croatian winger Ivan Perisic – a long-time target of former manager Jose Mourinho – also offered as part of the deal and in an attempt to match the Red Devils €80m valuation of the Belgian.
While United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is not thought to have any plans to sign Perisic, it’s believed Inter’s offer of €55m up front could convince the club to do business.
Lukaku has slipped down the pecking order at United, with Solskjaer offering a number of feeble excuses for the star’s lack of action so far this summer.
And with Inter unlikely to be able to up their offer any further, it may be that United choose to cash in now rather than wait around, as the former Everton man’s two-year stint at Old Trafford draws to a close.
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