Romelu Lukaku yes, but not at all costs. In the list of strikers that Milan has set its sights on, the Belgian out of the European Championships since Monday occupies a position of absolute importance because he was already courted last summer, because he has over 300 goals in clubs (and 21 in Roma 2023-24) and because in Serie A (especially in Conte’s Inter) he has shown he can make the difference. That said, on Big Rom the Devils do not intend to go… all in. Neither in terms of spending for the registration nor in terms of salary (maximum 6.5 million).
Rossoneri parameters
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Even though he knows well that other clubs, both Italian and foreign, have asked for information on Lukaku both to Chelsea and to the player’s entourage, the managers of via Aldo Rossi are keeping calm and do not intend to go beyond those parameters that, for example, led to the black smoke on Zirkzee, for whom the agent, Kia Joorabchian, asked for 15 million in commissions. In the case of the Antwerp striker, the numbers that must adapt to Milan’s parameters are the cost of the contract (based on the age of the striker, namely thirty-one years old) and the salary. Let’s start with the contract: Chelsea had set a redemption fee of around forty million euros with Roma, a figure that the Giallorossi club did not put on the table and for this reason, as of Monday, the Belgian has returned to being a Chelsea player, a club to which he is tied by a contract until 2026 with a net salary of 12 million euros. He is the highest paid player in the squad despite not being part of Maresca’s plans. For the moment, the Blues intend to cash in on his departure and no longer want to loan him out without an obligation to buy because, in the event of a “dry” temporary transfer (and without extending the contract until 2027), they would see him return to London on July 1st with only one year left on his contract. Up until now, however, the London executives have had to deal with the will of Lukaku who in 2022 “imposed” the Inter destination by June 30th to continue to benefit from the Growth Decree, while last August he gave the green light to the transfer to Roma after the move to Juventus fell through and he said no to Saudi Arabia. It is difficult to think that, if an offer to purchase the player was to arrive that was appreciated by Chelsea, Big Rom would say yes to any team. The striker recently opened up to a transfer to Saudi Arabia, but now that both Napoli and Milan are interested in him, it is inevitable that he wants to continue playing in Europe. In the Champions League (in Milan) or with a coach (Conte) who has made the most of him. This is why Romelu can become an ally of the Devils, even if there is a variable linked to the Napoli market.
Osimhen blocks
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Conte has asked De Laurentiis to replace the Nigerian, who wants to leave Napoli at all costs, with Lukaku, but the Azzurri club cannot afford to include the former Inter and Roma player in the squad without having sold Osimhen. Because otherwise they would risk devaluing the top scorer of the 2022-23 championship in the eyes of potential buyers, who now have to deal with a release clause of around 120 million euros. This is why at the moment Milan has an advantage over Napoli that exceeds the appeal exerted by Conte on the player. But how long will it last? If Osimhen finds a buyer he likes in the Premier League (where he aims to play) or elsewhere, the Azzurri would become a fearsome opponent. So why isn’t Milan accelerating now? For the parameters we mentioned before: forty million (even thirty…) for a valuable centre forward, but thirty-one years old is considered too much. Especially because in 2022 he was loaned for 7.8 million, while in 2023 he left London, also on loan, for 5.8 million. In via Aldo Rossi they are convinced that as the weeks go by the Blues’ demands will become lower and lower. Maybe to the point of obtaining a loan with an obligation to buy.
Engagement
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And here we are at the salary issue. Milan is certain that Romelu could count on the Growth Decree because he had it when he arrived in Italy and never lost the requirements to take advantage of it. And, even if the decree was abolished for new arrivals after January 1, 2024, he was and remains an “impatriate”. The salary he had at Inter in 2022-23 (8 million net) and at Roma in 2023-24 (7.5 million) is however considered too high for the Rossoneri parameters and there is no desire to further raise the ceiling set at 6.5 million for Leao. Because Milan, who closed the budget in the black for the second year in a row by qualifying for the Champions League, wants to continue to be virtuous and combine sporting results with those of the budget. At the moment a “break” for Big Rom is not expected. Maybe if Chelsea accepts a loan paying part of the salary…
