'We need to wait' – Romelu Lukaku tight-lipped on future amid Chelsea exit talk

Romelu Lukaku of Inter Milan celebrates after scoring a goal during the Serie A match between Empoli and Inter Milan at the Stadio Carlo Castellani on April 22, 2023 in Empoli, Italy.
(Image credit: Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images)

Romelu Lukaku has refused to be drawn on his future, leaving it unclear whether the on-loan Chelsea striker will join Inter Milan on a permanent basis this summer.

Lukaku returned to Inter on loan last summer, less than a year after rejoining Chelsea from the Serie A giants in a then club-record £97.5m move.

And as the end of the season nears, the Belgian international's next step would appear to be undecided, despite speculation of a permanent exit from Stamford Bridge.

The man himself hasn't given anything away, telling DAZN when asked if he'd be keen to stay with Inter beyond the end of 2022/23:

"We need to wait because the others are talking. I just have to give my best for Inter."

Romelu Lukaku of Chelsea reacts during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Leicester City at Stamford Bridge on May 19, 2022 in London, United Kingdom.

Lukaku's return to Chelsea was not a happy one (Image credit: Clive Rose/Getty Images)

Lukaku, who turns 30 in May, flopped quite spectacularly in his second spell at Chelsea, managing just eight goals in 28 Premier League appearances under Thomas Tuchel.

The former Manchester United and Everton frontman saw his current stint at Inter get off to a slow start as he was hit by injury for much of the first half of the season – but he has since looked something like his old self, finding the net seven times in his last 14 appearances – which have often come as a substitute.

Lukaku bagged a brace last time out as Simone Inzaghi's Nerazzurri ran out 3-0 winners away to Empoli in Serie A; he also dispatched a penalty in the first leg of Inter's Champions League quarter-final victory over Benfica, which set up a mouthwatering semi-final showdown with arch-rivals AC Milan.

Tom Hancock

Tom Hancock started freelancing for FourFourTwo in April 2019 and has also written for the Premier League and Opta Analyst, among others. He supports Wycombe Wanderers and has a soft spot for Wealdstone. A self-confessed statto, he has been known to watch football with a spreadsheet (or several) open...