Striker Romelu Lukaku, who has expressed his greatest satisfaction with his life at Inter Milan, could be heading to Saudi Arabia.
“Lukaku has met with Al-Hilal chiefs in a bid to become a household name joining the Saudi giants,” the Daily Mail reported on Wednesday.스포츠토토
Lukaku joined Chelsea from Inter Milan in a £97 million deal ahead of the 2021/22 season. However, he scored just eight goals in 26 league appearances and said during the season, “I’m not happy at Chelsea. I want to go back to Inter Milan one day,” he said in a controversial interview during the season.
After being pushed out of the starting lineup after just one season at Chelsea, Lukaku eventually joined Inter Milan on loan ahead of the 2022/23 season.
Given that he was a world-class striker at Inter Milan, many expected a resurgence from Lukaku despite his struggles at Chelsea. However, Lukaku only scored 10 goals and provided 6 assists in 25 games for Inter Milan this season, and missed a number of games due to injury.
In the final game of the season, and arguably the most important game of the year for Inter Milan, the UEFA Champions League final, Lukaku was criticized for his lackluster offensive performance, and the Nerazzurri were willing to give up on signing him outright. As a result, he was forced to either return to Chelsea or look for a new club ahead of the 2023/24 season.
It was Saudi league side Al-Hilal who reached out to Lukaku. The Saudis have been trying to lure European stars to their league lately, and they made a big offer for Lukaku, who has been unable to find his next destination due to poor form and injuries.
According to the Daily Mail, “Lukaku will be offered a two-year contract by Al-Hilal worth £43 million. If he accepts the offer, he will become one of the biggest stars to join the Saudis after Ronaldo,” the Daily Mail reported on Lukaku’s offer.
“Lukaku has reportedly already met with Al-Hilal officials to discuss the deal, and it is believed that he will forgo the European stage for a more lucrative offer,” the source added, explaining that he could accept the big money offer and leave Europe for the Middle East.
Meanwhile, the outlet emphasized that the current stumbling block to Lukaku’s move to Saudi Arabia is the transfer fee. According to the Daily Mail, Chelsea will demand a transfer fee in the region of £43 million, and Al-Hilal is reportedly reluctant to pay the asking price. However, he added that he is willing to negotiate for Lukaku.
If Lukaku does end up in Saudi Arabia, he will join a long list of European stars heading to the Middle East this summer.
Karim Benzema has already confirmed his move to Al Ittihad, while Neymar, Sadio Mane, and Riyad Mahrez are also reportedly considering a move to Saudi Arabia.
It will be interesting to see if Lukaku, who has been loyal to Inter Milan, will be tempted by the Saudis and play in the Middle East instead of Serie A. It will be interesting for soccer fans to see how he fares.