Lukaku's Chelsea Move Could Set Off Chain Reaction in Serie A, Including Dzeko to Inter

When word of a possible Edin Dzeko to Inter Milan transfer started making waves this morning, I promptly (and proudly) buried my head in sand. After nearly three years of writing what basically amounted to transfer rumor fan-fiction about Dzeko's post-Roma future, this morning's updates just felt like more of the same: fodder for a slow news day.

However, as morning gave way to afternoon and afternoon gave way to evening, this once forgettable rumor started to gain traction, and perhaps even credibility. With Romelu Lukaku set to seal a €115 million move to Chelsea early next week, Inter Milan is reportedly planning on re-investing those profits into three positions: one full-back and two forwards.

While Inter should probably be more concerned with paying off some debts, Italian transfer guru (there's gotta be a better term for that, right?) Gianluca Di Marzio paints a cascading picture of life without Lukaku in Italy. With the Belgian striker set to return to Chelsea, Di Marzio describes a chain of events that could potentially ensnare five or six clubs, with a handful of strikers swapping places in the following order and/or based on the following conditions:

1. While Inter are eyeing Denzel Dumfries at full-back, they want Atalanta's Duvan Zapata at striker
2. Atalanta would then look to Chelsea's Tammy Abraham
3. If Atalanta can't secure Abraham, Zapata isn't likely to leave
4. Inter would then look to Lazio's Joaquin Correa
5. Regardless of #s 1-4, Inter have reportedly offered Dzeko a two-year deal to be one of their new post-Lukaku forwards
6. After a few weeks of working together, Dzeko has emerged as a key man for Mourinho
7. But Roma have informed Dzeko he can leave if “an important” offer came along
8. Roma can't let Dzeko go until they sign a replacement
9. Dzeko didn't play in today's friendly against Real Betis
10. Roma are reportedly looking at Sassuolo's Gianluca Scamacca
11. Andrea Belotti also remains an option for Roma if Torino finally sell him
12. Torino have also reportedly floated a new contract with a substantial raise Belotti's way
13. Torino may sell Belotti to Atalanta instead
14. Lionel Messi has (or soon will) sign with PSG
15. Mauro Icardi is currently employed by PSG
16. Lionel Messi does not like Mauro Icardi—to put it mildly
17. Roma could then attempt to sign Mauro Icardi

With so many moving pieces and so many dependent clauses, this still remains an unlikely scenario, but the sudden wake created by Lukaku's return to Chelsea makes this convoluted scenario more plausible than at any point over the past three years.

We say it all the time in transfer pieces, but seriously, stay tuned. This promises to be the final, if not biggest, Serie A transfer story of the summer.