Manchester City are seriously considering signing Romelu Lukaku from Inter Milan this summer. The forward may have had a fairly unhappy time at Old Trafford, but hopes at high that he’ll have a much better time at the Etihad.
While City had a pretty quiet winter transfer deadline day, there’s every sign that things will get a lot busier this summer. This is because there are reports that Pep Guardiola’s team are set to go on a £200 million spending spree.
The main item on the shopping list will be to get a replacement for Sergio Aguero up front. While City are deservedly at the top of the Premier League table, the lack of an out-and-out goalscorer has been the one negative point from a strong season so far.
This is because Aguero has spent much of the year absent due to a variety of injuries and illnesses. Plus the Argentine striker’s contract will expire this summer, and there’s every indication that Aguero is ready to leave the Etihad to join Barcelona. All of which could signal problems for City’s long-term aspirations.
City have provided plenty of excellent entertainment over the past few games. Their ruthless winning ways continued with a 4-1 thrashing of Liverpool that was hugely enjoyable. While many people go to betting.co.uk for their entertainment, the sight of City going on a 15-game winning streak is something that will want to be sustained.
As a result, the speculation over who could replace the legendary City striker has become the subject of feverish debate. There have been reports that City are joining the likes of Chelsea in the hunt for Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Braut Haaland - arguably Europe’s most exciting youngster. However, there are also indications that City could be willing to snap up Southampton’s Danny Ings.
While these are both credible options, it’s thought that Inter Milan’s Romelu Lukaku could be a better purchase. At 27-years of age, Lukaku is at the peak of his playing powers, and is a proven goalscoring force unlike the relatively untested Haaland. Plus Lukaku’s formidable presence hints at a much more durable proposition than the injury-prone Ings.
Lukaku’s impressive goalscoring record is the key reason why the Italian team are in with one of their best chances to win the Serie A in years. The Belgian forward has managed to score 37 goals in 56 appearances since joining Inter in 2019. In the current season, Lukaku is second highest in the Serie A top scorers table with 14 goals behind Cristiano Ronaldo’s 16.
But it’s Lukaku’s improved accuracy that will be of greatest interest to the City bosses. The 27-year old has the best goal conversion rate and the joint highest shot accuracy in the Serie A at the moment.
Much depends on whether Inter would be willing to let such a valued striker go. The good news for City is that the Italian side are desperate for cash. Recent reports have suggested that Inter are currently seeking a £142 million cash injection to stay competitive. If the current talks at generating the cash fail to produce the results, then Inter may have little option but to let Lukaku go.
Such news means that City bosses could swoop in to buy the Belgian star this summer. It would be great to see how Lukaku could link up with influential playmakers such as Raheem Sterling and Riyad Mahrez. The addition of Lukaku would provide plenty of important competition for Gabriel Jesus.
While there’s no doubting the Brazilian’s talent, it’s clear that he’s yet to scale the heights of Aguero. But with Lukaku in the team alongside the rapidly improving Philip Foden, it looks like City are only going to get even bigger and better.