Chelsea are finally on the verge of confirming their first major signing of the summer with Romelu Lukaku while Thomas Tuchel is desperate to sign a centre-back
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Tuchel coy when quizzed on Chelsea’s Lukaku links
Chelsea’s summer has finally started with the news that Romelu Lukaku is set to join for a club-record fee.
The Blues have struck an agreement with Inter Milan to bring the Belgian to Stamford Bridge in a transfer worth £97m.
But Thomas Tuchel does not want to stop there and has plans to bring in a defender and a midfielder.
There have also been links with a wing-back, too, as Roman Abramovich looks to bankroll his side after they were crowned European champions.
And a shock switch for Juventus star Matthijs de Ligt has also been mooted with one player heading the other way.
Lukaku details emerge
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Nicolò Campo/LightRocket via Getty Images)
With a £97m fee agreed with Inter Milan for Lukaku, a deal is edging closer with the player keen on a move.
It means nearly a decade after first signing for Chelsea, the Belgium international is back.
And the details of his move are starting to emerge, including his contract, fees and inside knowledge of club chief Marina Granovskaia’s negotiating.
According to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, Lukaku has agreed a €12m (£10.17m) salary on a five-year contract.
Chelsea will also see €2m of their transfer fee returned to them due to a compensation scheme that says that any club that had the player between 12 and 23 will see a small portion of cash.
Multiple reports also stated how Granovskaia tried to include a player in the deal but Inter Milan were only interested in straight money, with Marcos Alonso one of the Chelsea stars they tried to offload.
De Ligt swap mooted
Chelsea are desperate to sign a defender and had made Jules Kounde a top target but are struggling to agree a fee with Sevilla.
It has led to potential alternatives and a shock move for De Ligt is on the cards.
With Massimiliano Allegri trying to trim the wage bill at the Allianz Stadium, there could be some big outgoings in the next few weeks.
And the Dutchman could be one of them with the Blues are interested in a swap deal that would see Timo Werner move the other way, report CalcioMercato.
A cash sum of €50m would also be included while the club believe De Ligt is the long-term successor to Thiago Silva.
With Lukaku set to sign imminently, that would nudge Werner down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge just a year after joining.
The report states that the Germany international is expendable in Tuchel’s eyes but Juve insist the former Ajax star is not for sale.
Lukaku slammed
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Inter via Getty Images)
Antonio Cassano has questioned why Romelu Lukaku wants to return to England after reviving his career with Inter Milan.
He said on Twitch. “If this is really how much they are offering, I’d take him there personally.”
“Having said that, I want to figure out what’s going on here. He had two really bad experiences in England, one decent one with Everton, and he wants to go back there.
“I have to ask myself, why go back to a club that didn’t appreciate you? Is it for money?”
Thomas Tuchel has refused to comment on the speculation surrounding Lukaku’s future.
When the Chelsea boss was asked whether there was any truth to the rumours linking Lukaku with a return to Stamford Bridge, he said: “I will not talk about players who don’t play in my squad.
“Romelu Lukaku is a fantastic player but he’s a player from Inter and with all due respect, I will not talk about him in this situation.”
