Manchester United have set a deadline for Inter Milan to lodge a £75m bid to meet their valuation of Romelu Lukaku. A strict deadline has been set so they can attempt to sign a replacement before the transfer window of the Premier League closes in August.
Throughout the summer, fans have followed news about new Inter manager Antonio Conte and his eagerness to obtain the Belgian forward, a player who has been in his sights since his Chelsea days.
Inter, who was already unsuccessful in their £54m bid for the former Everton striker, must secure an additional £20m within a week if they want Lukaku leading their team this season. Conte reportedly has grown frustrated over the fact that the player he's been going for had not been secured yet. However, Inter is careful of overspending as the team had been sanctioned by UEFA for failing to meet Financial Fair Play regulations in 2015.
'He is a United player, and for this reason, we must show great respect for the club, for the player and also for my own players,' said Conte. 'Lukaku is a player that I like because I consider him a player that could improve our team.
When United wanted Ivan Presic last summer, Inter held their ground regarding their valuation of the winger, and it looks like the Red Devils are pulling off the same thing with Lukaku. The Mirror reports that if a fee of £75m is not offered before the deadline set by United, Lukaku will not depart Manchester this summer.
Inter is still looking forward to sell Mauro Icardi so they can afford the deal, but there's a lot of uncertainty especially that Juventus seem to have lost their interest. Lukaku, on the other hand, seems keen on quitting the club as he has grown reluctant whether he will be a first-team regular at Old Trafford, competing against players the likes of Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford.
The Italian transfer Window closes 15 days later than in England, but United is eager to sort the situation by the end of July in order to secure the signature of whoever is replacing in the last week of the window.
If Lukaku leaves, Lille star Nicolas Pepe is one of the players that the team considers as a replacement. Pepe scored for the French side last season 22 league goals and has been rumored to leave this summer.
