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Chelsea Making a Call on Lukaku – More Players Out

By on June 11, 2024

After another disappointing season, those with Chelsea tickets are tuned in for what might be a busy summer as new manager Enzo Maresca looks to steady the ship and build a long-term plan. Most fans with Chelsea tickets assumed that Mauricio Pochettino would be the man to guide them out of misery, but he failed miserably. Chelsea failed due to a lack of consistency, lacklustre form, and bad team chemistry. 

It eventually ended up in his firing, and now there’s a new manager. Chelsea have completed their first transfer of the summer, but Stamford Bridge is always a busy place when it comes to business. The arrival of Tosin Adarabioyo on a free signing has meant the Blues have secured themselves depth in a weakened position following Thiago Silva’s departure, with Premier League experience and someone who already has ties to the club.

New manager Enzo Maresca will certainly have his eyes on priority targets ahead of the 2024/25 campaign and will be keeping a watchful eye on the 2024 European Championships, which kick off next week, to see if they give any indication as to who might be up for grabs. However, the transfer window isn’t just one-way traffic—and if any club has been the definition of that over the past few seasons, it’s been Chelsea. 

Now, fans with Chelsea tickets need accountability for the new transfers. Reports have suggested that the club can sell players after the Premier League Profitability and Sustainability Rules deadline for the 2023/24 period. Still, departures before the start of the new season are nonetheless expected.

Is Chelsea Going Back to Lukaku, Again? 

It was an exciting return back in 2021 for the Belgian international under Thomas Tuchel for what was a then-club record fee of £97.5 million from Serie A side Inter Milan before quickly stoking controversy in late December of that year, which saw him claim that not being ‘happy’ under Tuchel during an interview with Sky Italia.

Lukaku claimed that the head coach ‘has chosen to play with another system’, comparing the team’s tactics with those at Inter. He then expressed his wish to return to Inter ‘in the near future’. That led to him being dropped by Tuchel for the upcoming clash against Liverpool, and he eventually returned to Inter on a season-long loan deal the next summer.

The next season, he landed a loan move to Roma, in which the Serie A club paid for his entire salary. Under Jose Mourinho, the 31-year-old scored 21 goals from 47 appearances across all competitions but is now set to return to Stamford Bridge yet again with no hope of getting game time.

The star’s release clause is believed to be £38m, and while clubs have started offering cheaper offers, it’s not looked fantastic business-wise ahead of the window’s official opening next week. However, it has been said the club will only look for a permanent sale for him this summer with no hope of a third consecutive season out on loan.

But with two failed attempts and millions of pounds spent, those with Chelsea tickets question why Lukaku still needs to be in their transfer equation. The Romelu Lukaku vs Chelsea saga has been too ugly for the club to continue. 

While it’s entirely on the player and has nothing to do with the club, the best thing for the Blues to do now is cut their losses and find Lukaku a new home. It’s clear that he wants out; two consecutive seasons on loan have proven that, and he has options on the market. Whether that’s at yet another Italian club, a fourth reunion with Jose Mourinho at Fenerbahçe, or in the Saudi Pro League, new manager Maresca should make stamping out this problem once and for all one of his priorities as soon as he arrives at Stamford Bridge.

Broja Exit Talks Underway

Everton are reportedly ‘pushing’ to sign Chelsea striker Armando Broja. The Albanian international failed to break into Mauricio Pochettino’s regular squad after long-term injuries made getting minutes past Nicolas Jackson difficult. His loan out to Fulham in the January transfer window didn’t do him any favours.

Now, with the arrival of Maresca, the 22-year-old is set for a departure from Stamford Bridge this summer. The Toffees are hoping for a quick breakthrough with a £30m package deal. It’s not the first time Broja has been rumoured with an exit, having been linked with several clubs across the continent, including AC Milan, Monaco, Wolves, Crystal Palace, and Bologna.

Sean Dyche’s side is currently in ownership turmoil. Owner Farhad Moshiri’s takeover deal with prospective buyers 777 Partners collapsed suddenly after a court case in New York was filed against them, accusing them of a complex ‘pattern of fraud’. Various parties are interested, including Evertonian businessmen and supporters, such as AJ Bell and George Downing, and American billionaire Dan Friedkin, the president and owner of Serie A club Roma.

It’ll be unpleasant to see Broja go after a promising start to his short career at Chelsea under Frank Lampard’s original stint as boss. His long-term injury meant Broja had a lot of ground to make up when Mauricio Pochettino arrived at the club. Still, the Argentinian constantly reminded the press about his upcoming involvement upon his return to full fitness. Unfortunately, that never came, and now the academy graduate is set to be sent on his way without getting a proper run-in as the central focus up front for the Blues.

The loan spell at Fulham didn’t exactly help things either, playing just 70 minutes of Premier League football strewn across eight substitute appearances for the Cottagers before making the short trip back across west London to Chelsea again. It should be clear to everyone, especially Enzo Maresca, that Broja isn’t the future at Chelsea. Getting £30m towards another asset that’ll be far more useful in the short and long term will go a long way in easing the Italian in at Stamford Bridge.