Chelsea Transfer News Roundup: Blues want Theo Hernandez; Inter Milan chief slams Romelu Lukaku and more - November 3, 2023
Chelsea next face local rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Monday (November 6) in the Premier League. The Blues are buoyed by their 2-0 win over Blackburn Rovers in the EFL Cup in midweek.
Meanwhile, Mauricio Pochettino is interested in AC Milan defender Theo Hernandez. Elsewhere, Inter Milan sporting director Piero Ausilio has slammed the Blues' on-loan striker Romelu Lukaku.
On that note, here's a look at the key Chelsea transfer stories as on November 3, 2023:
Chelsea want Theo Hernandez
Chelsea are in talks to sign Theo Hernandez, according to Todo Fichajes. The French left-back has been in impressive form for AC Milan recently and has forced the Stamford Bridge hierarchy to take note. The Blues are likely to be in the market for a new left-back in 2024, with Marc Cucurella's future up in the air.
Ben Chilwell's injury woes have also hurt the club, and Hernandez could be an upgrade on both players. The 26-year-old is open to the idea of playing in the Premier League but remains settled at the San Siro for now.
Inter Milan chief slams Romelu Lukaku
Piero Ausilio hasn’t minced words while speaking about Romelu Lukaku. The Belgian striker spent last season on loan with Inter Milan and was heavily linked with a permanent move to the Nerazzurri this summer. Chelsea were eager to offload him, but the player ended up joining AS Roma on loan instead.
Speaking recently, as cited by The Daily Mail, Ausilio hinted that the 30-year-old will never be welcome to Inter again.
“I prefer not to talk about a player currently at another club. I have never done that in recent months.
"I say that I like to think about the present and the future. Lukaku is part of the past: with him, we won a Scudetto, lost two finals, and he brought us an important capital gain,” said Ausilio.
He continued:
“What happened? I prefer not to talk about it. All I’m saying is that there has to be politeness and respect: things were obviously going on, but at a certain point, these conditions came to an end.
"There are deals that don’t get done, but if there is respect, it is never a problem. When, on the other hand, one hides or sends replies via other people, then one thinks about moving on.”
He concluded:
“For me, it is a close chapter since July 8, there are no regrets. The famous phone call to Lukaku? It was something decided, nothing special. I told Romelu what I thought, after I hadn’t been able to contact him for a while.”
Roma have a £40 million option to sign Lukaku permanently next summer.
Blues were not in talks for Rayan Cherki in the summer
Chelsea didn’t target Rayan Cherki this summer, according to acclaimed transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.
The Frenchman’s future at Lyon is up in the air after a poor start to the season. The 20-year-old is linked with an exit in 2024, and the Blues are in the mix for his services at the moment.
In his column for Caught Offside, Romano said that the London giants didn’t attempt to sign Cherki in the summer due to tactical reasons.
“Despite links, Rayan Cherki was never an option for Chelsea in the summer. I don’t know why there were so many rumours on Cherki and Chelsea, but they always had different plans, and it was tactical reason.
"For sure, it’s not an easy moment at Lyon for him. It’s also understandable to be in tense situation when things are not working. … I’m sure there are many clubs keen on signing him in case he will be available,” wrote Romano.
Recent reports have hinted that Cherki has attitude problems, which could hinder his move to a big club next.