Chelsea mulling blockbuster swap deal for Serie A striker
Chelsea might have finally stumbled upon an out for their Romelu Lukaku predicament, but the question is now whether or not they decide to take it and run. A disappointing 2021-22 campaign saw the Belgian score just 15 goals in all competitions, and then spent the entirety of last season on loan with former club Inter Milan, where he didn’t perform much better.
Chelsea’s primary focus was originally to sell Lukaku outright, but Inter have pulled away from him, and the player has rejected an approach from Saudi club Al-Hilal. Juventus manager Massimo Allegri is said to be a big fan of the 30 year old striker, though, and is willing to send Dusan Vlahovic the other way to bring Lukaku back to Italy.
Further complicating things is that Juventus want Chelsea to send them Lukaku and cash for the deal to go through. The additional fee in that regard is rumoured to be between £25 million and £35 million. Chelsea, with the input of manager Mauricio Pochettino, will deliberate the potential deal over the course of the next few days. In addition, it appears that Vlahovic’s preference is to stay with Juventus and fight for his place.
Chelsea planning Romelu Lukaku-Dusan Vlahovic swap deal
Truth be told, it would be inconceivable for Chelsea to strike down this deal by their own devices. Breaking things down, they are effectively paying a modest fee for Vlahovic whilst simultaneously offloading Lukaku and his wages. The 23 year old Vlahovic already has two 20-goal seasons under his belt in a top-five league, even though he has failed to recapture his Fiorentina form at Juventus. At the very worst, the Serbian would be a young but experienced alternative to newcomer Nicolas Jackson and the injured Armando Broja.
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If any manager is a good bet to get the best out of Vlahovic again, it’s Pochettino. Plus, Chelsea will be in dire need of reinforcements up front when Jackson goes to AFCON. Let’s not put the carriage in front of the horse though; Chelsea still need to convince Vlahovic of the project and put the finishing touches on the logistical side of things.