Romelu Lukaku told transfer fate is "obvious" in blunt verdict on Chelsea future

19 July 2023 , 08:35

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Romelu Lukaku told transfer fate is "obvious" in blunt verdict on Chelsea future

Mauricio Pochettino admits it is "obvious" that Romelu Lukaku will leave Chelsea this summer.

The Belgian has struggled to deliver at Stamford Bridge following a near £100m move from Inter Milan in the summer of 2021 and the club have now moved on without him. Lukaku though remains on their books but both the Blues and the player want to part ways in the coming weeks.

Lukaku spent last year back on loan at Inter Milan, but a return to the San Siro appears unlikely with the Italian side now eyeing other targets. Despite that Pochettino doesn't see a situation where the striker would make his way back into the fold in west London.

He was quizzed on whether Lukaku would depart and, emphatically, told ESPN: "I think it is obvious. I think we can repeat this. It is obvious what is going on with him. I think in between the club and the player, they share the same similar ideas and we are working on that to try to fix it and have the best solution for both parties."

Lukaku was not part of the 29-man squad which travelled across the Atlantic North Carolina on Monday as the team gear up for five pre-season games ahead of the new season. Among the 29 are Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku - two new forward recruits.

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Jackson arrived from Villarreal whilst Nkunku has come in following several prolific seasons with RB Leipzig. He is tipped to help solve the club's goalscoring problem, which remained a major issue last term, and is expected to be more suited to Pochettino's style than someone like Lukaku.

The Belgian has been linked with Juventus as well as Inter, although the fans of the latter have made it known they don't want Lukaku back in Milan. A statement from a fan group read: “Never see each other again, Lukaku. You have betrayed all of us. We always defended you in difficult moments, now you give us a stab. You are selling yourself to the highest bidder after kissing our badge. You’re not a real man."

Juventus are on the lookout for more firepower and are willing to part with Dusan Vlahovic. Lukaku himself has previously stated he would not entertain a move to Turin, but may be left with few other options.

He has so far resisted a move to Saudi Arabia, where a host of players are going to land lucrative deals. Already Chelsea have sold Edouard Mendy and Kalidou Koulibaly for a combined £33m whilst N'Golo Kante has also headed east on a free after his contract expired.

Samuel Meade