Romelu Lukaku’s hopes of clinching a move to Inter Milan rest on whether Manchester United can be persuaded to take Mauro Icardi as part of the deal, or another buyer emerges for the Argentine.

Inter will make United an offer of Icardi plus cash, as they cannot afford the £80 million valuation the Old Trafford club have placed on the Belgian.

The Italians need to offload Icardi, whose relationship with his Inter team-mates has broken down, before signing another high-profile striker.

United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer may not be keen on a deal that involves taking Icardi, given the fractious relationship between Inter and the player, whose wife, Wanda, acts as his agent.

But Inter do not have any other buyers lined up for Icardi, meaning they cannot afford a straight cash deal for Lukaku unless United drop their demands.