Todd Boehly makes Romelu Lukaku transfer decision in first major test of new era

New Chelsea owner Todd Boehly is reportedly happy to let Romelu Lukaku re-join Inter Milan.

The Belgian, 29, has scored just eight Premier League goals for the Blues since he was re-signed from the Italian side for £97.5million last summer. It marked a sharp decline for a player who found the back of the net 30 times in all competitions for Inter during the 2020-21 campaign.

Lukaku has struggled at Chelsea since suffering an ankle sprain in October. That injury saw him lose his place and he was forced to apologise to supporters in January after admitting he was "not happy" at the club and wanted to play for Inter again one day.

According to The Telegraph, Lukaku's dream may come true this summer. It's claimed Boehly believes Lukaku's proposed return to Italy would be the 'best course of action'. The face of Chelsea's new ownership is reportedly involved in the transfer talks.

Boehly's consortium completed a takeover of the Blues last month, ending Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich's 19-year reign. Chelsea are set to make a number of signings this summer to give Thomas Tuchel the best chance of winning the Premier League title.

Lukaku is expected to return to Inter on loan and it is hoped a deal can be agreed by the end of the week. The forward will need to take a wage cut to facilitate the move and the Blues are likely to cover a chunk of his reported £350,000-a-week salary.

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It's believed Inter and Chelsea are yet to agree a loan free for Lukaku. There is also a chance the two clubs could agree a swap deal of sorts, with the Blues in the market for a centre-back after saying goodbye to Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger.

Tuchel is also said to be happy to let Lukaku leave his squad. The German is expected to lead Chelsea's recruitment this summer as they aim to improve their scoring record.

The Blues found the back of the net 76 times in the Premier League last season, with Manchester City (99 goals) and Liverpool (94) boasting better returns. Chelsea's top league scorer that term was midfielder Mason Mount, who scored 11 goals.

Speaking in December, Lukaku said: "I'm not happy with the situation, this is normal. I think the coach has chosen to play with another system, I just have to not give up and continue to work and be a professional... I am a worker and I must not give up."

On Inter, Lukaku added: "How I left Inter, how I communicated with the fans, this bothers me because it is not the right time now, but even when I left it was not the right time.

"Now I think it is right to speak because I have always said that I have Inter in my heart, I will return to play there, I really hope so. I am in love with Italy, this is rightly the time to talk and let people know what really happened without talking badly about people because I am not like that."