Chelsea’s decision to exclude Romelu Lukaku from their pre-season squad has handed Juventus a massive boost. According to Fabrizio Romano, the Belgium international won’t travel to the United States with the rest of Mauricio Pochettino’s team.
Lukaku was close to returning to Inter earlier this week following a decent season-long loan in 2022/23. However, the Nerazzurri have called the deal off. They’ve grown frustrated with the player’s hesitance to pressure Chelsea to sanction his permanent move to Giuseppe Meazza.
Inter’s withdrawal has given Juventus a clear path to the 30-year-old’s signature. But there’s a catch. Chelsea have pinned a €40 million price tag on their flop’s head and prefer to sell him to Saudi Arabia. Several clubs from the Saudi Pro League are enthusiastic about that prospect.
Yet, Lukaku isn’t. He’s adamant he wants to continue his career in Europe. Juventus are among the rare European sides willing to give the former Manchester United forward another chance to play at the highest level. But first, they need to address Dusan Vlahovic’s future.
Romano’s recent report suggested Paris Saint-Germain held talks with Juventus over the Serb’s move to Ligue 1 earlier this week. The perennial French champions have taken some time to re-evaluate their options before placing a formal bid for Vlahovic.
If the 23-year-old’s switch to Paris goes through, Juventus will have enough funds to meet Chelsea’s request. It could be too little too late for the Bianconeri, though, as the Saudis are known for completing their transfer deals on short notice.
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