Barcelona open Lukaku transfer talks – but is a deal possible?
Robin Bairner
- 30 Apr 2022 08:55 BST
- 3 min read
Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku is the latest name on Barcelona summer transfer shortlist as they seek to find a No.9.
Barcelona have already sounded out the possibility of signing Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund but do not have the financial muscle to complete with Real Madrid and Manchester City in this case. Robert Lewandowski is another option, but Bayern Munich are adamant they will not sell their star player.
This has led the Catalans to look at other options and there are few more viable players than Lukaku, who boasts the pedigree to play for the club but is also potentially on the market.
The Belgium international has endured a miserable return to Stamford Bridge, in which he has performed well below the levels expected from a €115 million transfer fee from Inter last summer. He has grown increasingly peripheral in Thomas Tuchel’s plans and is a player that Chelsea could cash in on.
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How can Barcelona afford Lukaku?
The short answer is that they cannot – at least in terms of a traditional deal. Chelsea still have to pay Inter around €92m on his transfer and it is expected that the Blues will look for around that in terms of a fee, though it is impossible to guarantee that given they have no owner at present.
Such a figure is simply out of their price range at present, so how could a deal be done?
Marca states that Barcelona board members Mateu Alemany and Jordi Cruyff have already held talks with Chelsea over a potential transfer for Lukaku and are looking for a solution. A loan, in which Barca pay the Blues a fee and take on the player’s wages could be an option, but given that the ex-Manchester United man is one of the highest paid Premier League stars, that could also be complicated.
Will a deal happen?
It seems unlikely. Chelsea’s takeover is still weeks away and Barcelona have reportedly been keen to get their business done early in the transfer window. Lukaku could be a player they look at should the situation become desperate in the closing weeks of the summer, but the likelihood is that there are simply too many hurdles to overcome for this link to become a reality.
