Romelu Lukaku says he is not sure if he will return to Chelsea
Chelsea want striker Romelu Lukaku to either stay or leave permanently this summer. The Blues are not willing to loan the player out for a second successive summer.
As per the Sun, (h/t Daily Mail) the West Londoners will not entertain another loan spell for the Belgian striker and will either keep him or sell him for good. It makes sense for us to cash in on him and reinvest the fee back into the squad rather than look for temporary arrangements.
The 30-year-old’s move to Chelsea for £98 million in the 2021–22 season has not paid dividends, as the striker failed to live up to expectations. He also came under scrutiny after an explosive interview in which he claimed he wanted to return to Inter Milan and was later benched by former manager Thomas Tuchel.
The former Everton striker was ultimately loaned out to Inter, where he laboured to produce goals. But he later turned things around and finished the season in a much better fashion. While the Italians remain keen on another loan stint, Chelsea are having none of it.
Incoming Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino feels he can help the Belgian hitman find his form and integrate him into the team when he begins his Chelsea reign on July 1. Given what we have seen of the striker so far, it could prove to be a huge ask.
It is understood that Inter are preparing another loan bid for the striker, which includes an obligation to buy the striker permanently next season. Inter’s rival AC Milan are also interested in signing the player, but Lukaku has shown favour to the Rossonerri.
Given that the striker has made it obvious that he wants to play for Inter, keeping him at the Bridge against his wishes is a risk. However, if Pochettino believes he can make the most of the player, then so be it.
Pochettino has helped Harry Kane develop into one of the finest attackers in Europe, so we believe he can do the same with Lukaku. The Belgian still possesses a deadly finishing touch and can be nigh on unplayable on his day. Surely, we could coax it out of him if need be.
But if Chelsea can find a way to permanently offload him, that won’t be a problem, and we’ll be able to take his hefty salary off the books and redeploy it to bring in another prolific striker. Either way, it is in our best interests to come to an agreement as soon as possible.
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