Chelsea have now told striker Romelu Lukaku he could be used in a swap deal to sign one £213,000-per-week star when he returns from his loan at Roma.
Chelsea set Lukaku price tag as Boehly seeks mass summer sale
The Belgian, following his return to Chelsea in 2021, has now gone down as one of the club's biggest transfer flops in recent memory.
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The Argentine has transfer plans if he remains beyond this season.
ByEmilio GalantiniMay 9, 2024
Lukaku cost the west Londoners a huge £97 million to sign from Inter Milan three years ago, following a campaign where he helped spearhead the Nerrazzuri to a Serie A title under Antonio Conte, before the latter joined Tottenham.
1. Enzo Fernandez
£106.8 million
2. Moises Caicedo
£100 million
3. Romelu Lukaku
£97.5 million
4. Mykhailo Mudryk
£89 million
5. Kai Havertz
£75.8 million
However, it's been a match made in hell since the 30-year-old opted to return to England, and chairman Todd Boehly is now set to try and rid Chelsea of his £325,000-per-week wages for good this summer.
Fabrizio Romano claims Chelsea will demand around £38 million for Lukaku this summer, which is the same price tag as last year.
Lukaku isn't the only big-name player who's facing his last potential season at Stamford Bridge. Indeed, Chelsea could use winger Raheem Sterling in a swap deal for Michael Olise, with many other men set for Mauricio Pochettino's axe this summer.
Conor Gallagher, Trevoh Chalobah, Marc Cucurella, Ian Maatsen, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Hakim Ziyech and Armando Broja have also been named as players who could depart Chelsea when the window reopens, with Boehly looking to raise £100 million through player sales by June 30 in a bid to comply with PSR.
Part-exchange deals could be a fruitful way for Chelsea to both offload deadwood and upgrade the squad simultaneously, and it is now believed they're plotting that scenario for Lukaku.
Chelsea tell Lukaku he could be offered in Osimhen swap deal
According to The Boot Room, Chelsea have informed Lukaku he could be offered in a swap deal to sign Victor Osimhen.
The Napoli striker has been a long-term target, but chairman Aurelio de Laurentiis may be reluctant to negotiate a lower value than the Nigerian's £113 million release clause.
Lukaku would come as a direct replacement for Osimhen, though, so perhaps de Laurentiis could be tempted to entertain this sort of agreement.
Osimhen has been one of Serie A's most devastating strikers for a few years now, so he would be ideal to add that extra bit of goal threat and provide Chelsea with a a classic number nine for next season. The 25-year-old, called a "monster" by members of the African media, is currently earning around £213,000-per-week after signing a new Napoli deal earlier this season.