(Football news) A deal for Romelu Lukaku to join Juventus has apparently been finalised, with personal terms completed, and speculation about a swap for Dusan Vlahovic has increased.
The Italian giants are hoping to get Lukaku in a swap deal, handing Vlahovic to the Blues, but Juve are also demanding a €40 million compensation for the Serbia international. Mauricio Pochettino wants to get rid of Romelu Lukaku after his second tenure at Stamford Bridge turned into a fiasco following his £97.5 million return in 2021.
The Belgian spent last season on loan at previous club Inter Milan and was eager to return to the San Siro on a permanent basis. However, Inter were unwilling to pay Chelsea’s asking price, so Juventus stepped in. Juventus fans actually staged a demonstration against the club’s efforts to sign Lukaku, and the 30-year-old appeared to indicate that the deal was off.
Lukaku is reportedly ready to join Juventus if Chelsea agree to the swap agreement. Chelsea turned down the opportunity to sign Vlahovic in July, but are now contemplating the move.
Since joining Juventus from Fiorentina, the 23-year-old has scored 23 goals and provided six assists in 63 games. His time in Turin, however, has not been quite as fruitful as his final two campaigns in Florence. Vlahovic scored 41 goals in 65 games for Fiorentina before moving to Juventus for €80 million.
However, it is said that if Chelsea refuses to pay Juve’s additional €40 million asking price for Vlahovic, there is a good chance that they will let Lukaku to leave and settle for what Pochettino now has at his disposal.
Signings for the summer season So far, Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson have forged a formidable attacking partnership in west London, providing the Blues with a cutting edge up front that they lacked completely last season.
