Lukaku sparks Zapata and Abraham domino effect
If Romelu Lukaku joins Chelsea, then Inter hope to do a deal with Atalanta for Duvan Zapata at €40m, while Tammy Abraham could replace him in Bergamo.
Much like the one sparked by Cristian Romero towards Tottenham Hotspur, another transfer domino effect is about to pick up speed, again involving Atalanta.
This time, Sky Sport Italia claim Lukaku has informed Inter that he will accept the Chelsea offer, with wages of €12m per season.
The Stamford Bridge club are offering a reported €130m including Marcos Alonso as part of the deal.
However, Sportitalia report Inter want €130m in cash and are asking agent Federico Pastorello to make it very clear that Lukaku is asking to leave, hoping this will stop the fans blaming them for his exit.
Lukaku is a difficult man to replace, scoring 64 goals in 95 competitive games over two years, and the only real candidate is Duvan Zapata.
The Colombia international has a similar build and style to Lukaku, albeit two years older, having turned 30 in April.
Inter are hoping to get the deal done for €40m, although Atalanta could try to extract up to €60m for the hitman.
La Dea already have a striker ready to take over as first choice in the form of Luis Muriel, who often struggled to play alongside Duvan Zapata as a partnership.
Instead, Sky Sport Italia point them towards Chelsea forward Tammy Abraham as a different option for coach Gian Piero Gasperini.
It’s reported a meeting between Atalanta and the Blues could take place on Monday.
That’s because the Serie A giant-killers will be in London this weekend for a friendly match against West Ham United.
Abraham won’t turn 24 until October and already has one goal in six senior caps for England.
He is a product of the Chelsea youth academy, with loan spells at Bristol City, Swansea City and Aston Villa, last season finding the net 12 times with six assists in 32 competitive matches.