Chelsea 'offered stunning player-plus-cash swap deal' for Romelu Lukaku

Chelsea have reportedly been offered a stunning swap deal for out-of-favour striker Romelu Lukaku.

Lukaku returned to Stamford Bridge for a second spell in 2021, with the Blues forking out £97.5 million to sign him from Inter Milan.

However, he scored just eight goals and headed back to Inter Milan on loan after becoming unhappy in west London.

Lukaku found himself back to Chelsea after Champions League finalists Inter elected against snapping up permanently, but he was not part of the pre-season tour in the United States.

Although contracted until 2026, Lukaku is not part of Mauricio Pochettino's plans and they are looking to offload him.

And they could end up getting another striker in return according to a report from the Evening Standard.

Juventus are known admirers of the former Manchester United man and have reportedly proposed a transfer fee on Chelsea's part plus Serbian striker Dusan Vlahovic for Lukaku.

They have already spent £85 million on new forwards Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku but Pochettino has not ruled out bringing in a third reinforcement in his attack.

However, the latest from Gazzetta Dello Sport is that there is still £20 million gap in valuation and so discussions are stil ongoing.

🚨 Juventus are exploring a possible swap deal with Chelsea, which would see Romelu Lukaku join Juventus and Dusan Vlahovic move to Stamford Bridge.

It’s thought Juventus would want cash plus Lukaku for Vlahovic. pic.twitter.com/q7ypqcUFDI

— Football Daily (@footballdaily) August 2, 2023

The 23-year-old joined Juve in 2021 from Fiorentina for £62.8 million and has scored 23 goals in 63 games.

Lukaku appears to be a top target for the Bianconeri, however the club's fans have already protested against his potential signing.

Inter fans have also accused him of "betraying" the club amid links to Juve and a fan recently told him, "See if you sign at Juventus, never say Forza Juventus."

In the exchange outside of a sports complex in Brussels, Lukaku expressed his doubts over the deal. Climbing back into his car, Lukaku replied: "No no never. I don't think the deal will go through."

Chelsea are set to announce imminent deals for Monaco defender Axel Disasi and Rennes midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu, while they are also in talks for Brighton goalkeeper Robert Sanchez.