Romelu Lukaku has been handed a deadline by Graham Potter regarding his future at Chelsea as the striker gets closer to leaving.
The 29-year-old was frequently mentioned in connection with a long-term transfer from Stamford Bridge after losing favour under Thomas Tuchel.
After returning, Lukaku found it difficult to adjust to the Premier League. His time under the German coach quickly ran out, and he was benched. The Italian powerhouse Inter Milan was unwilling to pay the Blues’ asking price to sign the striker outright due to their spending limitations.
Instead, the Nerazzurri decided on a one-year loan, and Chelsea arranged for a fee to be paid in exchange for Lukaku’s services. The Belgian international still has an uncertain future at the club, despite the fact that he will join a new head coach at the end of the current campaign after Tuchel was fired.
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Calcio Mercato claims that the west London club does not want to bring back a striker who does not meet Potter’s typical requirements. When his loan at Inter ends, Lukaku reportedly does not want to go back to the Cobham training facility.
Initial talks about extending the Belgian’s loan beyond the predetermined season have reportedly begun between Chelsea and the Italian powerhouses. According to Calcio Mercato, there are currently two options available: either a fee of around £7 million or another loan.
Although Lukaku’s contract at Stamford Bridge is set to expire in 2026, there are concerns about his future with the Blues under Potter’s leadership. And no matter what the new Chelsea manager has in mind, a return seems unlikely after departing on bad terms.
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The £60.7million-rated talisman admitted last month in an interview with DAZN Italia that he felt anger after his departure. He acknowledged that his situation at Chelsea isn’t likely to get better.
“The season at Chelsea gave me extra motivation to do even better than before,” Lukaku said. “I think in a year, people have forgotten what I can do on the pitch. This is a kind of anger that I have inside of me.
“When I left, I had in mind to get a rematch with Chelsea. When I was young, I was at Chelsea for eleven years, and I wanted to come back to be a protagonist.
“After the last game, I started thinking about what the best situation was for me. The season for me at Chelsea was difficult, and I think things would not improve in the future and so I decided to come back here.”
