Romelu Lukaku is expected to return to Chelsea at the end of the season, due to the inability of AS Roma to pay his transfer fee of €43 million.
Roma apparently cannot secure his signature due to their financial state, and that will likely see Lukaku return to Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2024.
Romelu Lukaku has been instrumental for AS Roma since he joined the club on loan in the summer of 2023.
Lukaku has been sublime in Roma
The Belgium international has pumped in lots of goals, helping the team to reach impressive heights this season.
Lukaku has scored 18 goals and provided 4 assists in 41 appearances across all competitions this season.
He is the second-top scorer in the UEFA Europa League this season, with 7 goals in 11 matches, just 3 goals behind top scorer Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Roma are boxed in a tight corner, with on-loan striker Sardar Azmoun also set to exit the club at the end of the season, with the Giallorossi also unable to pay his €12.5 million purchase fee.
AS Roma could also witness the departure of several players in the summer, including; Renato Sanches, Houssem Aouar, Rui Patricio, and Leonardo Spinazzola.
This could put head coach Daniele De Rossi in a pretty disadvantaged position if the Stadio Olimpico side does not make valuable additions in the summer.
Meanwhile, AS Roma would love to keep Romelu Lukaku, but their financially handicapped state is the reason why they can’t go all out for him.
This was also the reason why they signed him on loan from Chelsea for a fee of €5.8 million, instead of outrightly buying him for a heftier amount.
Romelu Lukaku at Chelsea
Lukaku’s contract with the Blues comes to an end on June 30, 2026, and this puts the Belgian striker in an acute position.
Romelu Lukaku is not fancied by Chelsea, with key members who can decide his playing time not willing to make him a significant member of the group.
Mauricio Pochettino apparently doesn’t have him in his plans, however, it will be interesting to see if they can work together when the season ends.
The Stamford Bridge club has had attacking problems this season, with several forward additions, notably; Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson failing to meet up to expectations.
Lukaku was courted by clubs in Saudi Arabia during the summer of 2023, but he opted to remain in Europe due to an issue of financial divergence.
It will be interesting to see where his future lies, but his performance at AS Roma should certainly have caught the eye of several clubs and he could be making a move elsewhere in the coming months, having played for Inter Milan during the 2022/23 season.
