Chelsea now reject £23m bid for player who Pochettino is desperate to sell, will accept £40m
According to information from the Telegraph, Romelu Lukaku is among the four players that Pochettino hopes to offload before Wednesday, alongside Christian Pulisic, Hakim Ziyech, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Reports from Gazzetta dello Sport suggest that Lukaku has no plans to participate in pre-season training at Cobham, as he is holding out for a transfer to Inter Milan.
Inter Milan has now made a concrete offer for the Belgian striker after Chelsea communicated their lack of interest in another loan deal to the San Siro club.
The Daily Mail reports that Inter Milan has bid £23m for Lukaku, while Chelsea is seeking a sum closer to £40m for a player they acquired for £97.5m in August 2021.
Inter Milan is expected to receive around £40m from Manchester United for the imminent sale of Andre Onana, and a portion of those funds is likely to be used to acquire the 30-year-old striker.
If Pochettino indeed wants to part ways with Lukaku before Wednesday, it is crucial for Chelsea to make it happen, even if it means accepting a slightly lower sum than £40m.
Lukaku’s return to Cobham with his focus on leaving could create a negative atmosphere at Chelsea, and Pochettino reportedly prefers to work with players who are fully committed.
Therefore, it becomes a priority for Todd Boehly to offload Lukaku and provide Pochettino with the funds received to pursue a new striker.
Hopefully, all parties involved can reach a solution in the coming days. Keep an eye out for any further developments.