Chelsea Transfer News Roundup: Romelu Lukaku tipped to leave Stamford Bridge before World Cup; Barcelona identify Antonio Rudiger as Ronald Araujo replacement, and more - 4 April 2022
Chelsea are preparing to face Real Madrid in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday. The Blues are coming off a humiliating 1-4 defeat at home to Brentford in the Premier League.
Meanwhile, Roberto Martinez has hinted that Romelu Lukaku could leave the Blues this summer. Elsewhere, Barcelona have identified Antonio Rudiger as a replacement for Ronald Araujo.
1-4 
| #CheBre
Defeat this afternoon.
🔵 1-4 🐝 | #CheBre https://t.co/Qyn5kM4cSe
On that note, here's a look at the key Chelsea transfer stories as on 4th April 2022:
Roberto Martinez hints that Romelu Lukaku might have to leave Chelsea before World Cup
Belgium national team manager Roberto Martinez has hinted that Romelu Lukaku might have to leave Chelsea ahead of the FIFA World Cup. The 28-year-old has struggled for chances under Thomas Tuchel at Stamford Bridge recently.
Romelu Lukaku remains ‘unhappy’ with his situation at Chelsea and Inter Milan are eyeing a loan move for the striker in the summer.
- @calciomercatoit #CFC https://t.co/PpYqw6Lm7o
The Belgian has already been linked with a move away from the Blues this summer. Speaking recently, Martinez hinted that Lukaku might have to consider his future at the end of the season:
"There will be a lot of players who change clubs or are going to feel in a different way in the summer. Romelu needs to be assessed on how he feels in September, the same way Eden Hazard does and some others. But he is one of the players for whom the summer could be a big moment for their careers," said Martinez.
The Belgium manager added that he regularly stays in touch with Lukaku.
"We always speak. I have a very close relationship with all my players. I would never tell a player what to do but we always share thoughts. At the moment Romelu is in a good place. He is so committed. He was delighted to win the Club World Cup and the next step is to finish the season strong with Chelsea and make sure he can feel very important," said Martinez.
Lukaku has only scored 12 times across competitions this season, including five times in the Premier League.
Barcelona identify Antonio Rudiger as Ronald Araujo replacement
Barcelona have identified Antonio Rudiger as a replacement for Ronald Araujo, according to Caught Offside via Todo Fichajes.
The Uruguayan defender is in the final 18 months of his current contract with the La Liga giants. Talks of an extension have not progressed well, with the player unimpressed by the club's offer. The Blaugrana will offload the Uruguayan if he continues to stall talks of a new deal and have their eyes on Rudiger as his replacement.
The German defender is in the final three months of his Chelsea contract and is all set to leave as a free agent this summer. Barcelona have already presented their proposal on the table, and the 29-year-old is warming up to the offer. However, a move could depend on the future of Araujo.
Thomas Tuchel in bullish mood ahead of Real Madrid game
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel is unwilling to go into panic mode ahead of the game against Real Madrid. The German saw his team ripped apart by Brentford on Saturday in the Premier League.
However, Tuchel is adamant that the Blues do not need to do anything special for the Champions League tie.
"I will now refuse to make a drama out of it. Why should we? We do what we do. We don’t need special things now. We need to rely on the things and trust that we have built throughout the whole season and the whole year. I don’t think that we will do crazy stuff now and give crazy speeches or whatever," said Tuchel.
He continued:
"We will do what we need to do to prepare for the next match as well as possible. We need to do our stuff better, on a higher level, more committed, more mature, and we can’t lose concentration for a minute because you can get punished. It is very untypical of us," said Tuchel.
The Champions League holders are alive in their quest for an unlikely continental treble.