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Topics: Football, Transfers, Premier League, Chelsea, Romelu Lukaku, Mauricio Pochettino
Chris Byfield
Topics: Football, Transfers, Premier League, Chelsea, Romelu Lukaku, Mauricio Pochettino
Mauricio Pochettino is confident he will break Chelsea’s striker ‘curse’ this summer with one final signing.
The Blues are trying to sign another offensive player before the transfer window shuts. The club has been linked to Tottenham Hotspur target Brennan Johnson, Arsenal forward Folarin Balogun, and Juventus’ Dusan Vlahovic, who has been offered as part of a swap deal involving Romelu Lukaku.
Indeed, injuries to Christopher Nkunku, Carney Chukwuemeka and Mykhailo Mudryk have heightened Chelsea’s need for attacking players before next week’s deadline.
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But Chelsea forwards have traditionally struggled for goals in recent years, with several top strikers having failed to make the grade at Stamford Bridge.
The club’s current No.9 Lukaku, returned to Chelsea for a then-club record £97.5million back in 2021 after dazzling in Serie A the previous season.
But a tumultuous first campaign at Stamford Bridge saw Lukaku return to his old club, Inter Milan, on a season-long loan last term.
With Lukaku likely to be offloaded again, Pochettino is confident that Chelsea’s striker “curse” can finally be put to bed during his reign as Blues boss.
The Argentinian said, ahead of Chelsea’s meeting with Luton: “It’s true, [the curse] yes?
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“Oh my goodness, we need to do some things to change the energy. I will ask the kit man to bring all the nine shirts and we will do something to break it.”
Pochettino added: “If we bring in one more striker now, I‘m going to be sure that he uses the nine and try to change the feeling and the idea that this number is cursed.”
The Chelsea boss also reiterated that his hands are tied over Lukaku after the player and club agreed that they would seek a move for him this summer.
“The situation [with Lukaku] did not change,” said Pochettino. “It is a situation that was already really clear before we arrived here. There was a wish between the club and the player to try to find a solution. At the moment we are relaxed and nothing happened. If something changes, we will inform you.
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“If the player and club’s wish is to find a solution, it’s not me, it’s them. In that case, the player and the club will meet and inform me that things have changed. I’m not going to move until the club or the player wants to talk with me. I am here, I accept the situation that was here when I arrived.”