Romelu Lukaku’s “time in England is over”, according to Andy van der Meyde, with the Manchester United striker being tipped to form an “unbelievable” strike partnership with Mauro Icardi at Inter.
Speculation regarding a move away from Old Trafford for the Belgium international is starting to intensify.
Initial rumours have seemingly taken on more substance, with the 26-year-old now expected to take on a new challenge.
Lukaku has openly admitted in the past that he would welcome the opportunity to test himself in Serie A at some stage.
That wish may be granted in the summer of 2019, with former Inter star Van der Meyde hinting that reported interest from San Siro may deliver a big-money deal.
He told FCInterNews: “I’ll tell you what I think, not what he told me in front of the cameras. For that, I refer you to the episode [of my show] that will be broadcast in a few weeks.
“I think this time in England is over and he can move to another like Serie A.
“On the other hand, Romelu’s message to one of your [Italian] TV stations in which he praised [Antonio] Conte by claiming that he is the best manager in the world, makes it clear.
“But to avoid specific problems, again this is just my personal opinion.”
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Inter already have a star frontman on their books in the form of Argentina international Icardi.
He has been linked with a move of his own, with Van der Meyde admitting that a long-runner saga has become an unwelcome distraction.
The Dutchman said of Icardi: “I think he is a very good player and he was a good captain. So the situation is a bit bleak.
“But this is football. The players come and go. The team is more important than the single athlete.”
While fearing that Icardi could be offloaded in the current window, Van der Meyde hopes that his services are retained and used alongside Lukaku.
He added: “They could be a pair of deadly strikers. Unbelievable. Do you know how many goals they could score?”
Inter are expected to bring in a number of fresh faces now that they have Conte at the helm, with the club eager to force their way back into contention for major honours and end Juventus’ dominance of Italian football.
