As they prepare to miss out on Erling Haaland and Robert Lewandowski in the summer transfer window, Barcelona is set to make a move for Romelu Lukaku. Lukaku has moved up the priority list for Barcelona, who are desperate to sign a striker ahead of next season after falling out of favor at Stamford Bridge in recent months.
Futballnews reports that the Belgian striker could be heading to the Nou Camp in the summer, with Haaland likely to join Man City and Lewandowski likely to stay at Bayern Munich for another year.
In December, the 28-year-old expressed his desire to leave Chelsea by expressing his dissatisfaction with Thomas Tuchel’s management style. Lukaku was then omitted from the squad for a few games before being reintroduced to the first team—but he hasn’t scored in the league since then.
Barcelona had been after Lewandowski, but Bayern had made things difficult for him and had remained adamant that the Polish striker would play in Germany next season. Manchester City is a possibility.
In recent weeks, he has been linked with a move to Erling Haaland, indicating that a move to Spain is unlikely for the Norwegian. After winning the Serie A title with Inter Milan the year before, Lukaku joined Chelsea for a reported club-record fee of £97.5 million.
The Belgian made an immediate impact with the Blues, scoring three goals in his first three league appearances. Lukaku’s form has since deteriorated, with the Belgian only scoring two more league goals in the 30 games that followed.
He has only scored 12 goals in all competitions for the Blues, a far cry from his 64 goals in 95 games for the Italian champions over two seasons. Lukaku’s form at Chelsea has dipped since he was signed for a club record of £97.5 million ($120 million) in the summer transfer window, and he has only 12 goals this season.
This has fueled speculation that the 28-year-old will leave for Barca at the end of the current season, despite the fact that the club is cash-strapped. Barca would have no chance of paying the kind of money Chelsea paid for Lukaku’s services; instead, a loan deal with a fee and the assumption of a portion of the player’s wages would be more feasible.
