Chelsea Secure Verbal Agreement with Star to Kickstart Pochettino’s Rebuild
Chelsea is gearing up for an active summer transfer window, with significant moves anticipated. Reports suggest the club has reached a verbal agreement to sell Romelu Lukaku for £38 million.
Despite a productive loan stint at Roma, where he netted 21 goals across all competitions, Lukaku is not part of Mauricio Pochettino’s future plans.
The Belgian striker, who was re-signed by Chelsea for a club-record £97.5 million in 2021, struggled to make an impact, scoring only eight goals in 26 appearances in his sole season at Stamford Bridge.
Subsequently, he has been loaned out to Inter Milan and Roma. Lukaku was notably absent from Chelsea’s pre-season squad, signaling Pochettino’s decision to exclude him from the youthful first-team setup.
Lukaku’s departure could provide a financial boost for Chelsea, with the £38 million transfer fee – as reported by journalist Ben Jacobs – potentially bolstering Pochettino’s transfer budget. Despite spending over £1 billion since the BlueCo consortium’s takeover in 2022, Chelsea is preparing for another round of significant investments.
While there is interest in Lukaku from Saudi Arabian clubs, the Belgian vice-captain has expressed no desire to move to the Saudi Pro League.
When asked about his future following a standout performance in an international friendly against England in March, Lukaku told Sky Sports, “I don’t know. You’ll have to ask Chelsea what they want to do.”
Chelsea’s current first-team squad features Nicolas Jackson as the only recognized senior center-forward. The 22-year-old, who joined from Villarreal for £30 million, faced inconsistency in his debut Premier League season but still managed to score 14 goals.
Some fans might have hoped for Lukaku’s experience to aid Jackson, yet it seems Pochettino is intent on pursuing a different option for the No. 9 role.
The club has been linked with Napoli’s prolific forward Victor Osimhen, although securing the Nigerian international will be challenging given his high valuation and interest from other top European clubs.
As Chelsea navigates the summer transfer market, all eyes will be on their strategic moves to enhance the squad for the upcoming season.
Chelsea Secure Verbal Agreement with Star to Kickstart Pochettino’s Rebuild
