Reports in Italy have revealed how the Zhang family forced Inter directors to sell Romelu Lukaku to Chelsea and neither Beppe Marotta nor Simone Inzaghi took it too well.

The striker’s move to Stamford Bridge is not a done deal yet as the Nerazzurri rejected Chelsea’s €100m bid plus Marcos Alonso earlier this week.

However, according to multiple reports, the Premier League giants are now ready to put €130m on the table, meeting Inter’s asking price for their star striker.

Lukaku has already informed the club that he wants to return to Chelsea, so the Nerazzurri are already looking for possible alternatives on the market.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the club’s owners Suning, forced Inter directors to sell Lukaku for €130m as they didn’t see any improvement in the plan to reduce costs.

The pink paper reports the club’s directors, including Beppe Marotta and coach Simone Inzaghi, are against Lukaku’s sale and Il Corriere dello Sport describes the new Inter tactician as ‘furious.’

Il Corriere dello Sport also reports Suning’s decision to force Lukaku’s exit made Inter directors Marotta, Piero Ausilio and Dario Baccin so unhappy that some of them could decide to leave after the summer transfer window given that their contracts expire in June 2022 and they haven’t signed a contract deal yet.

Barcelona have confirmed in a statement that Lionel Messi “will not remain linked with the club” and effectively leave it after contract talks broke down.

Following news from MARCA that the Argentine was “further from renewing for Barcelona than ever” before, and claims made by Catalan radio station RAC1 that he Messi “does not like the current squad” and that the other captains have been informed of his stance, the Blaugrana sent out a press release to address the matter.

“Despite having an agreement reached between FC Barcelona and Leo Messi and with the clear intention of both parties to sign a new contract today, it will not be possible to formalize due to economic and structural obstacles (regulations of the Spanish League),” it began, translated from Catalan.

“Faced with this situation, Lionel Messi will not remain linked with FC Barcelona. Both sides deeply regret that in the end the wishes of both the player and the Club cannot be fulfilled.

“Barça would like to thank the player for his contribution to the expansion of the institution and wishes him the best in his personal and professional life.”

Messi became a free agent this summer after his original contract with Barca expired, though was set to re-sign with the club following positive initial talks between all parties.

Messi was in line for a fresh long-term deal, albeit on lower pay terms. Now, however, breaking reports in Spain claim that the agreement is all but dead.

According to Catalan radio outlet RAC1, Messi’s situation at Barca has now become ‘irreversible’.

He is, it is reported, ‘more out of Barca than ever’ and ‘does not like the current squad’.

There are reports that Inter President Steven Zhang is reconsidering whether to sell Romelu Lukaku to Chelsea after intense pressure from fans and within the club.

The deal had seemed imminent as soon as Chelsea put forward a formal offer of €130m (circa £110.8m), which would make the Belgian the most expensive transfer out of Serie A in history.

However, reports emerged of tension within the club, as coach Simone Inzaghi, directors Beppe Marotta and Piero Ausilio are furious, the chiefs threatening to resign the moment the summer transfer window has closed.

Now La Gazzetta dello Sport are suggesting it’s getting to President Zhang, the chief representative of club owners Suning, and he is ready to potentially reconsider his position.

The most recent proposal of €100m plus Marcos Alonso was rejected, as they are waiting for €130m in cash.

However, balancing the books now would not resolve the situation if Inter then fail to qualify for the Champions League next season and that would be a very real risk without top scorer Lukaku.

He was also the symbol of the Scudetto victory and after losing coach Antonio Conte, Lukaku as well would effectively dismantle everything they built.

It has been said that Lukaku rejected the earlier Manchester City proposal, because at the time he still felt Inter had an ambitious project.

Although he has told the Nerazzurri hierarchy that he’d like to join Chelsea, it’s believed he would certainly not be unhappy to remain at San Siro, where he is hugely popular with fans and the media.

Former Chelsea star Michael Ballack’s son Emilio has been killed in a quad crash in Portugal.

The 18-year-old is said to have died in an accident around 2am this morning.

Portuguese media are reporting the tragedy happened in Troia south of Lisbon, close to a house his retired footballer dad purchased years ago.

According to Portuguese TV channel TVI24, Emilio was involved in the accident at 2.10am and had to be ‘rescued by firefighters’ out of the vehicle.

German Michael Ballack is widely regarded as one of his homeland’s best-ever players.

Emilio posted photos of the sun setting on a Portuguese beach over the weekend as well as another snap of Comporta Beach Club, a trendy hangout near the scene of this morning’s crash.

The Troia Peninsula, opposite Setubal where Jose Mourinho hails from, is one of the most beautiful coastlines of Portugal with an eight-mile stretch of pristine sands and crystal-clear waters.

The main tourist development of Troia is to the northern tip of the peninsula.

Local reports said the accident that resulted in Michael Ballack’s son losing his life happened near an apartment block known as Villas do Mar.

Firefighters from nearby Gondola are known to have been mobilised. Details of the fatal accident have not yet been made public.

Emilio is one of three children the former Chelsea and Bayern Munich player had with Simone Lambe, the long-term girlfriend he married in July 2008.

Reports in Italy claim Inter Milan have had their offer for Dusan Vlahovic rejected by Fiorentina on Wednesday.

It seems all but certain now that Lukaku will go to Stamford Bridge, with Inter demanding €130m in cash, without the inclusion of Marcos Alonso.

The pressure is therefore on to find a replacement upfront for the Belgium international.

Duvan Zapata of Atalanta remains the first choice, with Gianluca Scamacca of Sassuolo another potential signing.

However, Sportitalia and Calciomercato.com both state that Inter have made an approach to Fiorentina for Vlahovic.

The Viola, according to Football Italia, want €60m to sell the 21-year-old Serbian and Sportitalia transfer expert Alfredo Pedullà reports the initial offer was rejected.

The Serie A season kicks off on the weekend of August 21 and new coach Simone Inzaghi has very little time to find a suitable replacement for Lukaku, let alone get him settled into the team.

Roma veteran Edin Dzeko was another candidate mentioned by Calciomercato.com as a fall-back position.

Antonio Cassano is not impressed with Romelu Lukaku for wanting to quit Inter for Chelsea. ‘Why go back to a club that didn’t appreciate you? Is it just for money?’

The Belgium international is reportedly on the verge of a move to Stamford Bridge worth €130m in cash (£110.8m), with a salary at €15m per season including bonuses.

“If this is really how much they are offering, I’d take him there personally,” said lifelong Inter supporter and retired forward Cassano on Twitch.

“Having said that, I want to figure out what’s going on here. He had two really bad experiences in England, one decent one with Everton, and he wants to go back there.

“I have to ask myself, why go back to a club that didn’t appreciate you? Is it for money?”

The 28-year-old has found the form of his life in Italy, praising everyone from the fitness staff to the tactical lessons he has learned under Antonio Conte.

Chelsea first signed Lukaku from RSC Anderlecht in 2011 for €15m, loaned him out to West Bromwich Albion, then sold him to Everton for €40m in 2014.

His switch to Manchester United was worth €85m in 2017 and he came to Inter in 2019 for €74m plus €4m in bonuses.

If the €130m transfer fee is confirmed for Chelsea, that will make Lukaku the most expensive Serie A player of all time

Inter ultras have sent a message to the club owners as Romelu Lukaku is set for a €130m transfer to Chelsea.

It was well known that Suning were going through financial difficulties and needed more sales after Achraf Hakimi’s move to Paris Saint-Germain.

However, they had pledged not to make any more ‘big’ transfers, so losing their top scorer from the last two seasons and perhaps most representative player during the Scudetto run is considered completely unacceptable.

Inter ultras representing the Curva Nord placed a large banner outside the club headquarters in Milan this afternoon.

“To the club, watch out…” read the banner. “Promises must be maintained.”

The same group also released a statement today that made clear they will take action if the team is weakened.

“Any type of transfer operation must now be, as agreed, to improve the squad. Bringing in cash without adequate investment is not acceptable. That is true for any player.

“We will not just lay down and be treated as fools by anyone and we will act based on what we were told at the end of the season. We don’t think anything else needs saying right now.”

Football Italia report that tension was already high after coach Antonio Conte terminated his contract early by mutual consent just days after winning the club’s first Serie A title since 2010.

Massimo Moratti said the reports of a possible €130m transfer to Chelsea for Romelu Lukaku is ‘certainly a temptation’ for the Nerazzurri.

Multiple sources including Sky Sport Italia and Sportitalia report that Lukaku has informed the Nerazzurri directors he wants a return to Stamford Bridge.

The former patron said he doesn’t know ‘anything more’ than the reports are saying but believes the amount could convince Inter to sell.

“I read in the newspaper about this negotiation with Chelsea,” Moratti told Tuttomercatoweb. “I honestly don’t know anything more than what has emerged.

“We are talking about €130m and for Inter it’s certainly a temptation. I don’t know the numbers and I don’t know what the club needs today, but the figures we are talking about are certainly important.”

Atalanta forward Duvan Zapata and Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic are being mentioned as possible targets to replace the former Manchester United striker.

“They are both good, for sure,” Moratti said about the two targets.