2. Romelu Lukaku update
Lukaku will complete his medical with Inter Milan on Wednesday, as reported by The Daily Telegraph’s Matt Law. The whole Lukaku saga seems to have finally come to an end, which is a moment that fans can now celebrate. It only took him a couple of months to throw his toys out of the pram and act like a spoilt kid when Tuchel didn’t play him due to tactical issues. The lack of commitment from Lukaku and his infamous Sky Italia interview, which the Belgian gave without the permission of either the club or the coach, is stunning. This interview was never going to go down well, and it was rather an unfortunate foreshadowing of things to come.
Now, after long negotiations with Inter Milan, a traditional loan deal has been finalized with the Italian giant, who will be paying a £7 million loan fee with the potential to earn more through performance-related add-ons. Lukaku was so desperate for his move back to Inter Milan that the Belgian hired a lawyer especially to force the move and has taken a pay cut to ensure his return.
Recent reports have said that Cech and Granovskaia would have given Lukaku another season to prove himself at the club, but as their departures have now been confirmed, this clearly shows that Boehly and the new consortium are fully backing Tuchel—despite the cost. This shows a change in philosophy at the board level, which is an encouraging thing for the fans to see. But with this deal only being a traditional loan deal with no option or obligation to buy, Chelsea might find itself in the same situation next season.
It’s believed though that Lukaku will never come back to the club as in the discussions, it has been said that after the end of Lukaku’s loan spell, the loan deal will be extended to a second year and then an obligation to buy will be added at a much cheaper price. All in all, Chelsea will lose a lot of money but at least Tuchel is being backed by the board.