Chelsea are reportedly weighing up a proposal of a swap deal with Tottenham Hotspur that would see Romelu Lukaku and Harry Kane move in opposite directions.
Lukaku's £97.5m return to Stamford Bridge has not worked out as planned, and the Belgium international returned to Inter Milan on loan for the 2022-23 season.
Lukaku admitted only a few months after re-signing for Chelsea that he was pining for a return to Inter in a bombshell interview with Italian media, and he struggled for form under Thomas Tuchel.
The 29-year-old only netted eight Premier League goals in 26 matches, but Inter's volatile financial situation meant that the Nerazzurri could not afford to re-sign him permanently.
As a result, Lukaku is due to return to Chelsea for the 2023-24 campaign, and he remains under contract with the West London club until the summer of 2026.
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However, the ex-Manchester United man seemingly does not have a future in the English capital, and according to Calciomercato, Chelsea are considering offloading him to Tottenham.
Lukaku enjoyed a fruitful relationship with Spurs boss Antonio Conte during their time at Inter Milan, scoring 24 goals to fire the Nerazzurri to the Serie A title in 2020-21.
The report adds that Graham Potter is a huge admirer of Kane and would be determined to strike a swap deal involving the two strikers, but Inter are still at the head of the queue for Lukaku.
Simone Inzaghi's side supposedly possess an option to keep Lukaku on the books at San Siro for the 2023-24 season, and the Belgium international is expected to take up that opportunity.
Inter are also unlikely to change their stance and would welcome Lukaku back for another year with open arms, but the striker must still put in a string of good performances in Serie A.
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A recent report claimed that Lukaku is 'unlikely' to represent Chelsea next season, and the 29-year-old boasts 15 goals and three assists from 59 games for the club across his two spells.
Meanwhile, Kane's future was the subject of much speculation in the summer of 2021, as the England captain tried and failed to force a move away from the North London club amid their trophyless period.
Daniel Levy refused to soften his stance on Kane, with a figure of £150m being touted, but the 29-year-old recovered from a slow start to the season to fire Tottenham back into the Champions League.
Kane's contract with Tottenham is due to expire in 2024, but there is renewed hope that he will extend his stay in North London if Conte remains in charge.
However, Bayern Munich have been strongly linked with a future move for Kane, and journalist Florian Plettenburg recently claimed that the Englishman was "tempted" by a switch to Bavaria.
Ben Knapton
