Romelu Lukaku is preparing to leave Manchester United on a projected £73.9 million move to Inter Milan. Both clubs have reportedly reached an agreement for the striker's transfer.
United have been offered an improved bid on Wednesday believed to be worth an initial of £64.7m with a further £9.2m payable in add ons. This has become one of the most talked-about transfers as the window nears its conclusion.
Elsewhere, several media outlets report that United, who last month rejected an initial bid of £54m from Inter, have insisted on a sell-on clause given that Everton are due a £5m if the transfer is sealed under the terms that took Lukaku to United from Goodison Park three years ago. United reportedly want a profit on their original £75m investment.
Thursday saw Lukaku traveling to Milan ahead of an anticipated medical with Inter scheduled for the next day. His agent, Federico Pastorello, posted a photo on Instagram of himself and Lukaku on a plane with the caption "Ready to take off .... destination Milano."
Lukaku is expected to earn a basic annual salary of €7m a year after tax, with bonuses on top, that is likely to mean wages similar to the total £255,000 a week deal he earned with United. Pastorello had been in London on Wednesday for further talks with United on Inter's behalf after weeks of protracted negotiations, during which time the player's relationship with United manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, has become increasingly strained.
Antonio Conte, the Inter coach who tried to bring Lukaku to Chelsea before United's late hijacking of the move in 2017, had feared he would miss out on the player once again when United began negotiating with Juventus as part of a proposed swap deal with Paulo Dybala.
However, no deal was made over the weekend due to United backing out, citing they were reluctant regarding Dybala's eagerness to move to Old Trafford, his demands for huge salary, as well as agents' fees deemed to be in excess of £13m. There are also issues concerning the star's image rights.
It was the vehicle that Inter Milan used to sign Lukaku, but they had been unsuccessful in getting rid of Mauro Icardi this summer, which made it more complicated to sign Conte's main transfer target.
It's not clear whether United have found a replacement for Lukaku before the close of the transfer window, which happens Thursday at 5 pm.
