We are less than a week away from the transfer window opening, just to whet your appetite for some signings. And this offseason feels like arguably the most crucial to succeed in comparatively to Chelsea’s modern history. You see, Todd Boehly has much to decide, a lot to spend, and even more to prove at the Blues helm. With backing from Clearlake Capital, too, we could see the West London side’s expenditure into the hundreds of millions. If funds are added to via exiting personnel departing, the war chest may increase further. Imagine if £100million, or close to that figure, was recouped for Romelu Lukaku for instance.
Two marquee acquisitions are expected; at the moment they shall seemingly be centreback Jules Kounde of Sevilla, as well as Ousmane Dembele from Barcelona. Though the second name there, the France international, can be captured for free. Although his signing-on fee and wages will obviously be eye-watering. The fact that Dembele could arrive for nothing is astounding, to put it mildly. This prospective move would be a real feather in the newly positioned cap atop Boehly’s brow. Maybe offloading one of Christian Pulisic or Timo Werner opens space for the soon-to-be former Barca man, and a more content squad may just manifest.
Chelsea astutely plan to use Romelu Lukaku to recover his own transfer fee
Though which men are to be outgoing players remains uncertain at Stamford Bridge. The previously mentioned attacking trio are constantly linked elsewhere; nonetheless, there are no concrete reports as of yet. Another star could even be added to make a quartet: Hakim Ziyech. Ziyech hasn’t fully exhibited his entire back catalogue of skills and powers for Chels’ as of now.
Thomas Tuchel is said to be open to offers for the former Ajax man and Pulisic before 2022/23. While the Netherlands-born Moroccan national is apparently a target of Manchester United, as Erik ten Hag attempts to rebuild the severely flailing juggernaut. The Dutch manager would love to have the 29-year-old at Old Trafford for obvious reasons.
However, the potential leaver everybody is wondering about presently is Lukaku. A switch that merely hasn’t worked out for club or athlete, sadly. Here at Pride of London we offer opinions and insight into, hopefully, genuine stories.
Unfortunately for this writer, last week I understood that the Belgium representative was ‘determined to give it another go’ on Fulham Road. James Robson of Evening Standard made the claim that the ex-Everton striker wanted to make it work with Chelsea. In contrast, it appears Lukaku is angling to depart back to Italy. I am sure Mr Robson was given spurious information.
#Chelsea would demand a 'significant' loan fee for Romelu Lukaku, thought to be close to £20M, with an option to buy that would cover the remainder of the fee that was paid to Inter Milan last summer.
— Absolute Chelsea (@AbsoluteChelsea) June 3, 2022
[via @JBurtTelegraph]
With the previous being said, I would like to alert you to a rather intriguing and possibly ingenious scheme by CFC to regain the unreasonable £100m paid for Lukaku. Basically the outfit will demand £20m for an initial one-year loan, which will have an option to buy for the remainder of his signing price. Essentially this cuts down the earlier pricetag by a fifth even before selling.
If successful whilst temporarily with, say, Inter Milan next season, the forward will repay the team and be happy in his own career. On the contrary, if the period is unsuccessful, the Blues are left with a 30-year-old player with an £80m deficit. Not to mention, perhaps, a worsening reputation.