Chelsea Strategic in Lukaku Sale; Reject Loan Deals

In a strategic move, Chelsea FC has decided to block any loan moves for Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku in a bid to sell him off permanently. The club is keen to recoup part of the whopping £97.5m that they paid Inter Milan for him back in 2021. The expected selling price for the seasoned footballer is reported to be around £37m.

This decision comes as Chelsea wants to shed the burden of Lukaku's prominent £325,000 per week wages. Last season, Lukaku was loaned to Roma, scoring 13 goals in 32 matches. The Serie A club has shown interest in re-capturing him, but finances have posed a hurdle in meeting Chelsea's asking price. ACS Milan and Napoli, both also under financial constraints, and just appointing Lukaku’s former manager Antonio Conte have expressed interest in Lukaku.

Speculation was rife about a possible swap deal offered by Napoli involving striker Victor Osimhen. However, Chelsea doesn't harbor interest in the Nigerian footballer, who’s pegged at over £100m in value. In a significant update from last summer, Chelsea accepted an offer for Lukaku from Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal, only to be turned down by the forward himself. Clubs and the international football market are eagerly looking forward to seeing if Chelsea will relax their terms as the transfer window progresses.