Lukaku's role to play in Arsenal's £40m transfer chase after striker U-turn

Romelu Lukaku's possible Chelsea exit to Italian giants Inter Milan could play an important role in Arsenal's transfer business this summer.

The Gunners are keen to sign Sassuolo striker Gianluca Scamacca but understand they will need to fork out more than £40million to land him, after seeing an opening bid of £35m rejected, according to Gazzetta dello Sport. Inter were initially credited with interested in securing Scamacca but according to journalist Fabrizio Romano, they are "not working to sign" the 23-year-old with the priority being on the return of Lukaku.

Having said that, Mikel Arteta has the green light to try and improve their initial offer. The Spaniard boss is looking to add more firepower to his attack alongside Manchester City's Gabriel Jesus - and Scamacca has emerged as a leading contender.

The Rome-born striker contributed to 16 goals in Serie A in 36 appearances this season, earning him international recognition with Italy - his recent appearance coming in the Finalissima defeat to Argentina at Wembley.

While Arsenal are not guaranteed to sign the striker, the fact that Inter have performed a U-turn will be welcome news to Arteta. The Italians are understood to be prioritising the signing of Lukaku, which puts the Gunners in the driving seat.

Previously speaking about his future amid transfer links, Scamacca said: "I think my priority now is to make my mark in Italy. Having said that, the transfer market is somewhat unpredictable. When the time comes to make a decision, I'll try to make the best one. Serie A is of a very high level and my priority is to continue here. Others will then evaluate and we'll see what happens."

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Meanwhile The Express report that the Italian side would only be keen to offload the striker if they are able to secure the services of Penarol's Agustin Alvarez.

The 23-year-old began his youth career at Lazio before his move to Sassoulo in 2017 from Dutch outfit Jong PSV. He has recently signed a new contract extension, tying him at the club until 2026.

Although Arteta will be keen to add a clinical finisher next season, missing out on Champions League football could play to the disadvantage of top class players.