Lukaku transfer TWIST changes things for Chelsea completely
Robin Bairner
- 24 Aug 2023 06:53 BST
- 4 min read
Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino is ready to conduct a U-turn on the club’s stance towards Romelu Lukaku to welcome him back into the fold at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues have spent much of the summer looking to push the 30-year-old Belgium international striker to another club but have had little luck finding a team that is willing to pay both his wages and find what Chelsea see as an acceptable transfer fee.
According to Di Marzio, though, the Premier League club have reconsidered this stance and could hold talks about reintegrating Lukaku, who has been training with the youth team.
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Relations between Pochettino and the striker appear to be tense, with a report on Wednesday indicating that they were not even on talking terms due to the uncertainty over the player’s future.
But with Chelsea struggling to find a buyer with little over a week left in the transfer window, offering an olive branch at this juncture makes some sense.
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Lukaku's failed moves
Inter Milan wanted Lukaku back for a third spell at the club but after having an offer of €30 million knocked back by the English side discovered the player was holding secret negotiations with rivals Juventus and angrily broke off talks amid fan protests.
Similarly, Juve fans have protested about the idea of signing the No.9 but the club have pressed on trying to sign him. They want to offload Dusan Vlahovic first and tried to include him in a swap deal that would have seen them also receive money, but Chelsea were unmoved and the deal remains at an impasse.
On top of this, Chelsea have also found recruiting an additional attacker tricky following an injury to Christopher Nkunku. Ideally, they wanted a versatile, creative player, which Lukaku clearly is not, but the former Inter and Manchester United striker is another body in attack and offers a different type of solution to the ones that Pochettino has on offer.
Should Lukaku remain at Chelsea, there is the possibility that he could leave for the Saudi Pro League, whose transfer window ends on 20 September, although the player appears against such a move.
