Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku is finally expected to depart the club this summer after months stuck in limbo, with AS Roma closing in on a loan deal for the Belgian.
The 30-year-old had been expected to return to Inter Milan this summer, but the Nerazzuri couldn’t stump up the funds required to do a deal and eventually pulled out of a move after it emerged that Lukaku was also in talks with Serie A rivals Juventus.
That move also collapsed, with Juve’s interest in the Belgian contingent on selling Dusan Vlahovic, but neither PSG nor Chelsea showed any strong interest in the Serbian attacker, while fans took to the pitch to protest any potential Lukaku move.
Now, with Chelsea having given up on selling the striker this summer, they have found a loan destination in the form of Jose Mourinho’s AS Roma, with the Portuguese boss set to be reunited with the Belgian, who he signed while boss of Manchester United.
As per the Telegraph, the move is set to net the Blues a £9m loan fee, while they will also get Lukaku’s £325,000 per week wages off their books, though Roma will be paying Lukaku far less with the striker set to take a hefty pay cut to secure his Stamford Bridge exit.
Instead, he will take home around £7m for the year, around £130,000 per week. It is just over 1/3 of his Chelsea wages but will make him one of the Serie A side’s highest earners.
