Mauricio Pochettino wants to access Chelsea star who is keen on leaving the club - Reports
Chelsea new manager Mauricio Pochettino is looking forward to exploring the situation with Romelu Lukaku, according to Gazzetta dello Sport. The Belgian, who is currently on loan at Inter Milan, has no desire to return to Stamford Bridge and is hopeful of remaining with the Nerazzurri despite his loan spell ending this summer.
Despite this, Pochettino is reportedly still interested in the player's services. He has reportedly informed the management that he would like to perform a complete evaluation of the squad.
The report adds that Chelsea and Inter Milan are set to hold negotiations after the Serie A side's Champions League final clash in Istanbul on June 10. As of now, Lukaku is set to return to his parent club, with no agreement to extend his loan deal.
Having been signed from Inter Milan for a massive fee of almost £97 million, the Blues failed to get the best out of Lukaku in the 2021-22 season. He registered 15 goals and two assists in 44 games for the Blues before being loaned out to Inter for 12 months next season.
Inter have reportedly set two conditions for another loan for the 30-year-old. The first is the qualification for the Champions League, which they secured with a 3-2 win over Atalanta. The second and more important condition is regarding the financials of the loan deal.
Currently, the Nerazzurri cover a portion of Lukaku's wages, paying him about €8 million per season. With the striker not having a great season, after initially suffering from injuries, the Serie A club are looking for a discount on the payment if another loan spell materialises.
He has registered 13 goals and six assists in 34 games for Inter Milan. However, the report claims that Chelsea will look to offer the same financial deal to Inter if Pochettino decides that he is not needed at the club.
Chelsea target interested in move to Stamford Bridge: Reports
Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic considers Chelsea a viable destination, according to Italian journalist Rudy Galetti. Speaking to GiveMeSport, the journalist claimed that the Serbian, who has been heavily linked with a move away from the Turin club, likes the idea of playing at Stamford Bridge.
Galetti said:
"The Blues could make a concrete move for the Serbian, especially because the next manager, [Mauricio] Pochettino, considers Dušan the ideal striker for his tactical idea."
He added:
"The player likes the destination and reaching an agreement on personal terms wouldn't be a problem. Let's keep an eye also on Bayern Munich, who have Vlahović at the top of their list along with Harry Kane."
Chelsea are in need of a proper striker, as evidenced by their lack of goals this season. Romelu Lukaku is set to return from a loan spell at Inter Milan, but new manager Mauricio Pochettino has promised to evaluate the squad before taking any decisions.
A deal for Vlahovic could come in the range of €80 million, as reported by ESPN. He has netted 23 goals in 63 games since joining Juventus in January 2022.