Club Wants to Offload Striker This Summer
Chelsea has decided to reject all loan offers for Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku, aiming for a permanent transfer this summer. Lukaku’s loan spell at Roma has ended, and he will return to Stamford Bridge, marking his second consecutive season away from the Blues, following a previous loan at Inter Milan.
Chelsea had signed Lukaku for a then club-record £97.5 million in 2021, but he failed to meet expectations and was allowed to leave after just one year. The club now wants to remove his £325,000-a-week wages from their payroll and is willing to accept around £37 million for him, according to the BBC.
AC Milan and Napoli have shown interest in Lukaku, but their financial limitations prevent them from meeting Chelsea’s asking price. Napoli, now managed by Antonio Conte, who previously won Serie A with Lukaku at Inter, was rumored to consider a swap deal involving striker Victor Osimhen. However, Chelsea is not interested in Osimhen, who is valued at over £100 million, as they seek a prolific striker to fill the gap left by Lukaku, a signing made under former manager Thomas Tuchel.
Lukaku, 31, had notable success at Everton, Manchester United, and Inter, scoring over 30 goals in each of his two seasons at the San Siro. However, during his single season at Chelsea, he managed only eight league goals. Last summer, Lukaku trained separately from the first team under Mauricio Pochettino, indicating the club’s intention to find a resolution.
Meanwhile, José Mourinho, who has recently taken over as Fenerbahçe manager, stated he has “zero interest” in reuniting with Lukaku or any of his former players from AS Roma. Mourinho emphasized his focus on building his new team without rushing or relying on past associations.
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