Lukaku FINALLY set for Chelsea exit after swap deal 'agreed' with Juventus

Suraj Radia

31 Jul 2023 14:39 CDT
3 min read

Romelu Lukaku, Inter, Chelsea, 2022/23 — © ProShots

Chelsea and Juventus have reportedly agreed terms on a deal that would see Romelu Lukaku and Dusan Vlahovic swap clubs, with negotiations now underway over a fee.

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Sky Sport Italy claim that Chelsea are now willing to consider a deal for Vlahovic, having allegedly rejected a proposal to sign the 23-year-old earlier in the summer.

Juventus have been trying to move on Vlahovic in order to finance a move for Lukaku, with Paris Saint-Germain having previously been interested, but the Ligue 1 outfit are understood to be prioritising other targets.

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The Italian side have held an interest in bringing Lukaku back to Serie A this summer but they have so far been unable to meet Chelsea’s asking price, thought to be around £40 million.

Despite the arrival of new manager Mauricio Pochettino to Stamford Bridge, Lukaku has no future at Chelsea, having spent last season on loan at Inter, however the 30-year-old’s interest in rivals Juve has prompted Simone Inzaghi’s side to end their interest in the striker.

Chelsea will likely need to a pay a substantial fee to facilitate a swap deal, with Vlahovic valued higher than Lukaku in the package due to the age difference and disucssions over an agreement could soon accelerate.

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Vlahovic rejected interest from Arsenal to join Juve in a €70m deal last year but, despite scoring seven times in his first 15 games, the Serbian struggled last season, netting just ten league goals in 27 appearances.

Lukaku, meanwhile, has been disastrous since becoming Chelsea’s then-record signing for €113m in 2021 and also scored just ten goals in 25 games for Inter last year.

Chelsea have already brought in Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson this summer after struggling for goals last season, with both players showcasing good form in the club’s pre-season friendlies.

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However, Vlahovic could offer a more physical option to both players, while bringing more experience than backup Armando Broja, who is recovering from a long-term injury.

The move would also allow Chelsea to get a wantaway personality off the books in Lukaku and continue to build towards a younger core in a fresh start under Pochettino.