Football
Rob Dawson, Correspondent 5y

Sources: Lukaku near exit after fresh Inter bid

Romelu Lukaku is nearing a move away from Manchester United after Inter Milan submitted a fresh bid totalling nearly £75 million, sources have told ESPN FC.

The Serie A side have made an offer of around £64.6m plus a series of add-ons after a day of negotiations involving Lukaku's agent, Federico Pastorello, in London on Wednesday.

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Juventus striker Mario Mandzukic remains an option for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer if Lukaku leaves before Thursday's transfer deadline.

United have been holding out for an asking price of £80m, but there is now hope from both sides that an agreement can be reached.

Lukaku is still in Belgium but did not spend a third day training with Anderlecht on Wednesday. He is set to be fined by United for failing to report to Carrington for training on Tuesday.

Lukaku trained with Anderlecht's under-18 team on Monday and Tuesday as he continues to seek a move away from Old Trafford.

Solskjaer granted the players a day off on Monday, but the squad were expected back at Carrington on Tuesday ahead of Chelsea's visit to Old Trafford on Sunday.

Lukaku was asked to explain his absence on Wednesday and is set to be fined for missing training.

It is the second time in a week Lukaku has landed himself in trouble after being reprimanded last week for posting confidential training data on Twitter. The running statistics recorded during preseason training in Perth showed Lukaku clocked the second-highest top speed behind Diogo Dalot.

However, sources have told ESPN FC that Luke Shaw, who was bottom of the list, was among those unhappy the information had been made public, prompting Solskjaer to rebuke the Belgian.

If Lukaku leaves before the Premier League deadline at 5 p.m. local time on Thursday, United have not ruled out making a late bid for Mandzukic.

Sources have told ESPN FC that the Croatia international striker is open to a move to Old Trafford, but that negotiations with Juventus may be difficult because the relationship between the two clubs is strained following United's decision to pull out of talks with Paulo Dybala on Sunday.

Meanwhile, United have turned down an enquiry from Everton for defender Chris Smalling, sources have told ESPN FC. Smalling has fallen down the pecking order following the arrival of £80m centre-back Harry Maguire from Leicester, but Solskjaer wants to keep him at Old Trafford. Everton had asked about the possibility of taking the 29-year-old, who signed a new contract in December, on loan for the season.

Smalling is one of seven central defenders in Solskjaer's squad, which also includes Maguire, Victor Lindelof, Phil Jones, Eric Bailly, Marcos Rojo and Axel Tuanzebe. Sources have told ESPN FC that they club are open to offers for Rojo.

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