A Chelsea player is aiming to leave Stamford Bridge and has his sights set on a specific destination, with chairman Todd Boehly also prepared to take a significant loss on him.
Indeed, some reports have even claimed that Chelsea have offered Broja, Chukwuemeka, Ugochukwu and Chalobah to AC Milan during very recent talks over Romelu Lukaku.
The latter player is perhaps one man who Chelsea are desperate to get rid of. Lukaku, who cost the club around £98 million to re-sign from Inter Milan in 2021, has gone down as one of their most regrettable transfer mistakes in recent memory.
The Belgium star has spent more time away on loan than he has been donning the Blues jersey, having most recently enjoyed a season-long stint at Roma. Lukaku was back on a temporary spell at Inter the year before that, with Serie A appearing the striker’s ideal match.
Boehly has set Lukaku’s price tag at around £38 millionmeaning Chelsea would be taking a £60 million loss if they find a permanent buyer. AC Milan have been locked in negotiations to sign Lukaku, as previously reported, but Antonio Conte could also offer him a fresh start at Napoli.
According to reports out of Spain, Napoli are now seen as the most likely destination for Lukaku over Milan, which is largely due to Conte’s recent arrival at the club.
While the Rossoneri have been in negotiations for a while now, they’ve apparently struggled to reach an agreement – clearing the way for Napoli to advance on a deal for Lukaku instead. Napoli have previously been linked with Lukaku as a replacement for Osimhen, with the 31-year-old of a similar ilk in terms of positioning and stature, though not quite as clinical.
Lukaku, for his part, is aiming to return to Serie A and prefers Napoli over Milan.
“Right now, he is one of the best strikers in the world,” said Conte on Lukaku in 2021, during their time at Inter together.
“He already had important physical and technical skills, but in these two years we have made him progress even more. His presence in the match, his teamwork and clarity in front of goal (has improved).”