Chelsea face transfer problem for €100m man, Romano reveals

Robin Bairner

Updated: 11 May 2024 04:56 CDT
3 min read

Chelsea have been told by Fabrizio Romano that the prospect of Romelu Lukaku remaining with Roma beyond the summer are low, potentially posing the Blues a significant problem as they attempt to rebuild their squad.

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Lukaku is regarded as a player the Stamford Bridge club need to get rid of in the summer, despite their lack of a prolific centre forward.

Bought in 2021 for €113 million from Inter Milan, the 30-year-old is surplus to requirements and could potentially land the club a fortune that could then be reinvested into other players.

Current ETV

Romelu Lukaku

F (CRL)

Roma

Romelu Lukaku

F (CRL)

Roma

ETV Range

€24.6M - €40.9M

But as Chelsea discovered last summer, Lukaku will not be easy to move on due to his big wages and the type of transfer fee he will command.

Romano comments on the Daily Briefing: “Even if AS Roma qualifies for the Champions League next season, it’s still going to be very difficult for the Italian club to keep Romelu Lukaku for the 2024/25 season.

“It’s a really expensive deal with Chelsea as the striker has a £38m clause and also the player’s wages will be high.

“I expect Roma to move on from Lukaku this summer, leaving Chelsea to look at different solutions for Romelu as he will not return to the Italian capital.

“There is interest from Saudi Arabia but that is not the only possibility for the striker. The 30-year-old is still young and is still a top player, which he has shown this season by scoring 20 goals in a Roma shirt.”

© IMAGO - Lukaku is unlikely to remain with Romano

Lukaku's possible destinations

Both Inter and Juventus tried to strike a deal with him last summer, but the Nerazzurri were left furious when it was revealed the striker was negotiating with Juve behind their backs. A move to the Turin giants, meanwhile, broke down because they could not afford him.

Lukaku reportedly turned down a mammoth offer from the Saudi Pro League last summer, and it remains to be seen whether he might be tempted to revisit that possibility if no buyer among Europe’s major leagues can be found.