2
The transfer window is always a game of dominos where one decision snowballs into multiple consequences for many clubs.
Manchester United could be about to feel one due to a huge decision by one of their ex-players.
Fabrizio Romano has reported that Romelu Lukaku has made Inter Milan “furious” with his decision to talk to rivals Juventus over a potential move. As a result, his move to the Nerazzurri is now off.
Inter have decided to leave negotiations for Romelu Lukaku. Deal OFF. 🚨🔵⛔️
Chelsea to be informed soon.
Inter are furious after being informed of talks between Lukaku and Juventus.
Juve and Saudi remain as options for Lukaku now.
Juve can only proceed if they sell Vlahović. pic.twitter.com/FJ5Bg2G77O
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 15, 2023
How does that affect United? In a big way if the club is not proactive and quickens its business.
It is an open secret that United are locked in negotiations with Inter for Andre Onana, who’s Erik ten Hag’s primary target to fill the void left by David de Gea.
Inter are also willing sellers, mainly because they saw this opportunity to reinvest the windfall from Onana’s sale into a younger, cheaper option in goal, and make a new marquee striker signing.
That’s where Lukaku comes into the picture.
After a nightmare spell at Chelsea, a loan last season back at Inter breathed new life into the Belgian’s career.
He was effusive in his praise for the Serie A club, and it finally looked like he would settle on a club after burning bridges at Chelsea.
Inter had made Lukaku their prime target and were negotiating with Chelsea to sign him permanently.
With this deal now off due to the striker starting talks with Juventus, Inter’s stance on Onana might harden, to the detriment of United.
It was reported that the Cameroonian would be on his way to Old Trafford for a deal in the region of £48 million, an expensive sum but a good deal nonetheless for arguably a top-five goalkeeper in the world right now.
With Lukaku off the market now, Inter’s urgent need for funds has diluted. They will probably still buy a new forward, but they could wait and do their due diligence on their potential targets before signing off on the Onana deal.
In the worst-case scenario for Ten Hag, Inter could settle on an alternative more expensive than Lukaku would have.
Italian clubs have been struggling to remain financially competitive for a while and they generally rely on selling players to fund their transfers. Looking at it from that point of view, United are effectively funding Inter’s purchase of new goalkeepers and a striker.
In that case, a sudden hike in Inter’s demands for Onana won’t be out of the question.
Manager Ten Hag wants Onana before the squad departs for the pre-season tour of the United States. Although recent reports have suggested that the deal for the Cameroonian is too far along to be affected by anything, a delay is still in the picture.
In conclusion, a United ex-player could still hurt the club four years after leaving, and the club will have no one to blame but themselves, as they have dithered on the Onana deal for far too long.
