Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku’s departure from Manchester United could reportedly be imminent, as Inter Milan and Juventus step up their interest.

According to a report from The Sun, Manchester United superstar Romelu Lukaku could be nearing the end of his time at Old Trafford, as a summer move to Serie A beckons amid serious interest from Inter Milan and Juventus.

Lukaku’s future at Manchester United has been mired with uncertainty all summer, after the former Everton star fell behind Marcus Rashford in the pecking order in the second half of the last season. This, coupled with Inter Milan’s appointment of Antonio Conte, who is a known admirer of the Belgian, led to the speculations intensifying.

Inter Milan are set to offload star striker and former captain Mauro Icardi after the controversies in the previous campaign and have identified Lukaku as the ideal replacement to lead the line for the coming years. To that end, they had submitted a £60 million offer which was knocked back by Manchester United, who want £75 million for their forward.

Will Lukaku head to Inter Milan? (Photo by Oli Scarff/AFP/Getty Images)
Will Lukaku head to Inter Milan? (Photo by Oli Scarff/AFP/Getty Images)

Inter CEO Beppe Marotta cited FFP regulations as a reason behind their inability to meet Manchester United’s demands. However as per the aforementioned report, after recent meetings with Conte, the Nerazzurri are now set to launch a new bid for Lukaku closer to the Red Devils’ valuation of the Belgian international.

However, Inter’s dilly-dallying has seen rivals Juventus emerge as another potential destination for Lukaku, with the Serie A champions looking to add the Manchester United star to their ranks. Mario Mandzukic is not getting any younger, while last season’s breakout star Moise Kean has been heavily linked with a move away, leading to Maurizio Sarri’s interest in Lukaku.

An alternate report from The Sun claims that Juventus are prepared to offer Argentine attacker Paulo Dybala to Manchester United in a straight swap deal for Lukaku. The 25-year-old saw his role getting diminished last season. And after holding talks with Sarri over his future, he has decided it’s time to move on to the next chaper in his career, the report adds.

Juventus offer Dybala to United for Lukaku (Picture Courtesy - AFP/Getty Images)
Juventus offer Dybala to United for Lukaku (Picture Courtesy – AFP/Getty Images)

Dybala has been linked with a move to Manchester United of late, with manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer believed to be a huge admirer of the 25-year-old. Juventus value the Argentine at £80 million and a swap deal for Lukaku would potentially be an excellent option for the 20-time English champions.

Lukaku’s time at Manchester United certainly seems to be nearing an end. The Belgian wasn’t involved in any of their pre-season fixtures owing to an injury and has jetted out to Belgium immediately after returning from the tour to hold talks with his agent and fast-track a move. With both Juventus and Inter interested, it remains to be seen where he ends up come next season.

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