All three of the Chelsea players on loan in Serie A are set to return to Stamford Bridge in the summer following a mixed set of experiences in Italy over the course of the 2022-23 season.
Romelu Lukaku, Tiemoue Bakayoko and Ethan Ampadu will return to West London after spells with Inter, Milan and Spezia respectively.
Inter’s CEO for Sport Beppe Marotta announced at the end of February that Inter will not be looking to extend Romelu Lukaku’s stay at San Siro beyond the end of the season.
The 29-year-old reportedly took a pay cut to re-join the Nerazzurri at the end of June in a straight loan deal that cost the club a fee of €8m.
Inter do not have a buy-out option in Lukaku’s contract and are not willing to negotiate a fee for his permanent signing, especially given his lack of goalscoring form and the fact that Chelsea would look to recoup some of the €113m they spent on him less than two years ago.
Belgium’s all-time leading goalscorer has netted just three times from 14 outings in Serie A this campaign, although does have two goals from his three appearances in the Champions League.
Lukaku’s current contract with Chelsea runs until the summer of 2026.
Bakayoko will join Lukaku in returning to England from the city of Milan, having spent two consecutive seasons on loan with the Rossoneri.
Milan had the obligation to buy Bakayoko permanently for €15m in the event that he played more than 45 minutes in 15 or more of their competitive matches this season.
The 28-year-old has seen just 32 minutes of competitive action from his two substitute appearances in Serie A this term.
With only 12 games remaining in the league and Milan out of the Coppa Italia as well as the fact that Bakayoko was not included in Stefano Pioli’s Champions League squad, it is impossible for him to obtain the minutes required to make his loan deal permanent.
The ex-Monaco midfielder will return to Stamford Bridge with one year left on his Chelsea contract.
Welsh international Ethan Ampadu will also be on the flight back to England at the end of June after his temporary spell in Liguria with Spezia.
The 22-year-old joined in the summer on a straight loan deal running until the end of the 2022-23 season.
Ampadu has enjoyed a collection of culturally rich experiences across his four loan spells away from Stamford Bridge, including stints in Leipzig, Sheffield, Venice and most recently with Spezia.
He and the Aquilotti still have work to do before the end of the season if they are to cement their place in Serie A, currently lingering one place and five points above the relegation zone.
Like Bakayoko, Ampadu’s current deal with Chelsea runs until the summer of 2024.
Lukaku and Bakayoko will not be part of Graham Potter’s plans upon their return to Chelsea, and with such fierce competition for places in the squad, Ampadu will also face a monumental task in forcing his way into consideration.