Chelsea face fresh troubles in bid to offload Lukaku
Chelsea’s plan to offload Romelu Lukaku has hit a snag, with Napoli preferring younger targets to the 31-year-old striker, per CalcioNapoli24.
The Blues wanted to sell the Belgian centre-forward to Napoli this summer, hoping to reunite him with incoming manager Antonio Conte.
Conte is a massive admirer. He wanted Lukaku at Juventus and Chelsea but eventually signed him at Inter Milan. The striker spearheaded the team to the 2020/21 Serie A title.
However, the Partenopei are not keen on the transfer. They are looking at younger and less expensive options like Lille’s Jonathan David.
Chelsea have set a £35 million price tag on Lukaku, which Napoli are not keen on paying. There were talks about a Lukaku-Victor Osimhen swap deal, but those discussions seem to be losing momentum.
Blessing in disguise for Chelsea
Chelsea are in the market for a new striker this summer, but all the options look too expensive.
Napoli want an astronomical £100 million for Osimhen, who has only crossed the 20-goal mark once in his career. The Nigerian international has also struggled with injuries, making him an unreliable addition.
RB Leipzig are expected to demand around £60 million for another striking target, Benjamin Sesko, after a decent second half of the season (he netted only six goals in the first half).
With these alternatives looking unpromising, keeping Lukaku becomes a more attractive proposition.
Chelsea will be better served keeping Lukaku – a proven striker who can take the scoring mantle, allowing Nicolas Jackson to develop.
Despite not having the greatest loan campaign at AS Roma, he managed 20 goals and four assists in 45 appearances across Serie A and the Europa League.
He is familiar with the Premier League and the Chelsea surroundings. The club and the player need each other in this phase.
Chelsea need a goalscorer, and Lukaku needs a landing spot. They should find a way to reconcile their differences.
If they can resolve their differences, he could be the man to spearhead the Blues back into contention for major titles after two years of mediocrity.