Football
Neither Inter nor Juventus. Lukaku heads to the Italian capital, reunites with Mourinho
A big twist that few would have expected before the start of the summer transfer period. Romelu Lukaku is not going to Inter Milan, nor is he going to Juventus. According to the latest information available, he will be acquired by AS Roma.
A big twist that few would have expected before the start of the summer transfer period. Romelu Lukaku is not going to Inter Milan, nor is he going to Juventus. According to the latest information available, he will be acquired by AS Roma.
An unexpected signing for AS Roma. Romelu Lukaku was on loan at Inter Milan last season, where he had arguably the most successful period of his career before returning to Chelsea. The Nerazzurri wanted to acquire him permanently for a second time, only for their efforts to fail on two counts.
The first was the amount Chelsea were demanding. The second was the character of the Belgian striker, who was being courted for a transfer to Juventus. But the fans of the Turin club made it clear that they did not want him in the team.
However, the Blues continue to not count on the services of Lukaku even with new coach Mauricio Pochettino and it was a question of what would happen to him next. Inter have given up on him for good, even Juventus aren’t completely keen on his arrival after all.
Surprisingly, AS Rome is taking advantage of the situation. If the transfer goes well, Lukaku will be reunited with José Mourinho. The team from the Italian capital has already started negotiations, with club representatives already flying to London.
However, this is only a guest appearance. A transfer AS Rome would probably not be able to afford. Chelsea will give the green light if Rome will pay for the guest appearance, plus cover part of the player’s wages.
According to the Italian media, the fee for the guest appearance should be €10 million. According to Sky Sport Italia, Lukaku himself has already spoken to Mourinho in a conference call and is said to have expressed great enthusiasm that the deal can work.
Lukaku is now in Brussels waiting to see how the whole situation unfolds. If he moves to Roma, his competition will be Tammy Abraham, another former Chelsea player.
If all goes according to plan, Lukaku should arrive in Rome for a medical in the next 48 hours and then the deal should be announced.
Source: Fabrizio Romano, Sky Sport Italia, Football-Italia