14-goal Premier League star offered ‘£20m a season’ by Newcastle United owners as Man City star also targeted

Romelu Lukaku has been offered a move to Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal worth up to £20m a year, according to reports.

A number of big-name stars from Europe are being targeted by clubs in the Gulf state, with Karim Benzema agreeing a move to the country with Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kanté also close to a transfer.

Chelsea’s Hakim Ziyech and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Manchester City winger Riyad Mahrez are also being targeted by teams in Saudi Arabia, with Cristanio Ronaldo moving to the country’s top flight earlier this year.

The Guardian report Lukaku has been offered a mega-money deal and met with Al-Hilal officials in Paris to hold talks over a potential move. He is said to prefer a permanent switch to Inter Milan after scoring 14 goals and providing seven assists in 37 appearances for the club last term.

Al-Hilal are 75 per cent owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, who also own an 80 per cent stake in Premier League side Newcastle United. Last week, PIF announced it had taken majority ownership of Saudi Arabia’s four leading clubs Al-Ittihad, Al-Ahli, Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal.

Lukaku made his return to Chelsea in the summer of 2021 and enjoyed a positive start to his second spell at Stamford Bridge but he left the club on loan after one season to return to Italy.

However, Inter are facing financial constraints which makes a permanent move for Lukaku unlikely, after the Belgian cost Chelsea £97.5million two years ago.

“The loan was for one season so on June 30 regardless of how well he plays, he’ll go back to Chelsea. This has been an unprecedented season,” Inter Milan chief executive Beppe Marotta told Sky Italy in March.

“I’m referring, of course, to the World Cup. The problems we’ve experienced have been experienced by other clubs too and the players who played at the World Cup.

“Lukaku is a case in point. [Marcelo] Brozovic isn’t the Brozovic we know. Lukaku hasn’t found the fitness he needs to play his best football. He’s still not at his best or the player we got to see in years gone by.”

Todd Boehly was in Saudi Arabia last week to discuss potential tranfer deals with Al-Hilal as he attempts to redue the size of the squad after a season of unprecedented spending at Stamford Bridge. Inter could still pursue another loan move for Lukaku as his future remains uncertain.