Chelsea set cut-price Romelu Lukaku fee after deciding to block all loan offers for the striker: Reports
Chelsea are reportedly willing to offload Romelu Lukaku on a cut-price transfer fee in the ongoing summer transfer window.
Lukaku, 30, has emerged as a hot topic of discussion after the end of his season-long loan deal at Inter Milan. He has been marked as a potential summer sale due to his hostile relationship with the Blues.
A left-footed powerful striker, the 108-cap Belgium international joined Chelsea on a club-record fee of £97.5 million in the summer of 2021. However, he struggled to impress on his much-anticipated return, scoring just 15 goals in 44 appearances in the 2021-22 season.
Subsequently, Lukaku opted to secure a loan move to the Nerazzurri after taking a paycut in hopes of reliving his earlier two-year stint at the Serie A outfit. He netted 14 goals in 37 matches last campaign, failing to convince his erstwhile club about a permanent transfer.
According to Fichajes, Chelsea are keen to offload the former Manchester United and Everton striker to raise funds to comply with Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules. They have told the player's lawyer, Sebastian Ledure, that they have no intention of loaning him out again and prefer to facilitate a permanent transfer this summer.
The Blues are willing to listen to offers in the region of £34 million for Lukaku, with AC Milan keeping tabs on the attacker. They are aiming to fill the attacking void by focussing on top targets like Napoli star Victor Osimhen and Juventus ace Dusan Vlahovic in the future.
Overall, Lukaku has registered 15 goals and three assists in 59 matches for the Stamford Bridge outfit across two separate spells.
Chelsea star backs himself to shine soon
Speaking to the Evening Standard, Noni Madueke tipped himself to be a success at Chelsea in the 2023-24 season. He elaborated:
"I definitely performed well last season, showed my ability, but next season, you'll see the real me. Next season, I want to contribute massively to Chelsea winning. We're all buzzing to come back in pre-season with the new manager, forget last year and bring the team back to where they're meant to be, fighting for titles."
Madueke, 21, joined the Blues from PSV Eindhoven for around £30 million earlier this January. He endured a difficult time settling in at his new club, scoring one goal in 12 games for his club last season.
A left-footed inverted winger blessed with flair and dribbling, Madueke shot to fame during his time at PSV. He registered a goal involvement every 110 minutes at his former club, netting 20 goals and contributing 14 assists in 80 appearances across all competitions.