Chelsea nightmare over? Romano reveals big deal AGREED
Robin Bairner
- Updated: 3 Aug 2023 03:54 CDT
- 3 min read
Chelsea are finally on the verge of offloading Romelu Lukaku, with Fabrizio Romano announcing that an agreement has been found between the Belgium international striker and Juventus. But there remains some distance to go in this transfer saga.
According to the football transfer specialist, personal terms have been agreed between the 30-year-old and Juventus over a three-year contract.
In order to fund the deal, the Serie A outfit have been forced into a swap. Romano reports that they will pay a €40 million fee but now they are waiting to hear if Chelsea want Dusan Vlahovic as part of the agreement and that manager Mauricio Pochettino will be “crucial” to this process.
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Chelsea have been searching for a centre forward throughout the summer window but have so far come up without a solution, with Vlahovic the player most closely linked in recent days.
Pochettino will have to make a careful decision given that reports from Spain indicate that Kylian Mbappe is open to a one-year loan move to Chelsea from PSG.
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Chelsea lack a No.9
Kai Havertz, who was used in that position last season, has been offloaded to Arsenal but in terms of a pure No.9, no one has come in.
Complicating matters further for the Blues is the fact that Christopher Nkunku left the field during Wednesday's friendly with Borussia Dortmund with an apparent knee injury, which will need to be assessed.
Although well stocked in wide and creative players, the Stamford Bridge side are curiously without a goal scorer and netted only 38 Premier League goals last term as they finished in an embarrassing 12th position.
Under Pochettino, they have looked a little more promising in preseason, although they need Mason Burstow to strike late to salvage a 1-1 draw against Dortmund in Chicago on Wednesday.
Chelsea now have 10 days to get ready for the opening match of the Premier League season, which will pit them against Liverpool in a blockbuster affair at Stamford Bridge. It remains to be seen whether Vlahovic is in their ranks for that encounter.
