Inter fan here. We've been heavily linked to Lukaku lately, much to the chagrin of our fanbase. I'll be upfront: hardly any Inter fans I know/communicate with online want Lukaku, especially for the reported prices of 70 million+ Euros. Our new owners are quite wealthy and we've been freed from any FFP obligations, so in theory we have money to spend. How much money our owners are willing to spend remains to be seen.
Part of the problem of why we're dragging our feet on Lukaku is the Icardi situation. I won't bore you with the details, but it doesn't make much sense to buy Lukaku before we sell Icardi or else we'll lose all leverage on an Icardi sale.
It sounds like you guys are content keeping Lukaku on your bench this year if you cannot sell him, but I think our management is trying to call your bluff on this. Would you rather have 60 million Euros or an unhappy, benched striker who doesn't fit your manager's tactics? That's the game my team's ownership is playing right now. You obviously have more money than we do, so you can afford to keep him. I respect the negotiation process that is unfolding and am intrigued to see where it ends. The fact no one else seemingly wants him is in our favour.
Would appreciate any thoughts you guys have on Lukaku. It sounds like he's been a total bust and you would simply be dumping your trash on us. I'm also unconvinced that Lukaku has the characteristics necessary to succeed in Italian football.