Chelsea willing to accept cut-price fee for failed mega-money signing; Euro giants very keen on deal

Chelsea are reportedly willing to accept a cut-price fee for Romelu Lukaku this summer so the striker can join Roma on a permanent deal. 

The Belgium international has never been part of Mauricio Pochettino’s plans and the Blues are keen to get him off the books for good.

Lukaku earns an eye-watering £300,000 per week with Chelsea, which is why it has proved so difficult to find a buyer for him over the last few years.

The striker spent the 2022-23 season on loan with Inter Milan, before signing for Roma on a 12-month deal back in August, where he has been flourishing under their new manager Daniele de Rossi.

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Lukaku has scored an impressive 18 goals in 35 appearances for the Serie A giants so far, and they are very keen on signing him on a permanent deal.

Roma have a buy option in their loan agreement with Chelsea set at £37m, but the London club are reportedly willing to accept less than that.

Chelsea ‘willing’ to accept cut-price fee for Lukaku

According to Italian outlet Calcio Mercato, Roma have the ‘possibility to negotiate’ with Chelsea and could snap up Lukaku for just £30m this summer.

Roma would still need to convince Lukaku to take a significant pay cut, however. The forward agreed to take a 37.5% reduction in salary to join them in the first place, but this would have to drop even lower next season.

The Riallorossi have ‘financial limitations’ which could make the deal, which with wages included, could cost around €60m (approx. £51m.) difficult to complete.

Nevertheless, Calcio Mercato say that ‘nothing is impossible’ with Champions League qualification likely the biggest factor affecting the potential of an agreement.

Roma currently sit in fifth place in the Serie A table, traling fourth-placed Bologna by three points.

It’s also noted that Lukaku ‘feels great in Rome’ and his family are ‘pushing for him to stay in Italy.’

Several Saudi clubs are also interested in Lukaku, though, and they would have no issues in matching Chelsea’s price tag or the striker’s salary demands.

With that in mind, everything points towards Chelsea finally selling Lukaku, albeit for much, much less than the £97.5m paid for him in 2021.