8am: Player to undergo Chelsea medical, as Blues to scheduled another meeting in London over £34M attacker
According to reports, Romelu Lukaku is expected to undergo his Chelsea medical on Sunday before completing a blockbuster transfer from Inter.
90min reported on Saturday that the Blues had agreed a €115m (£97.5m) fee for the Belgian, paving the way for a return to the club he left seven years ago.
The 28-year-old has already agreed personal terms on a five-year contract and is expected to become the highest earner at Stamford Bridge. There are now only the formalities to complete, and one of those will be ticked off on Sunday when Lukaku undergoes his medical checks.
According to The Athletic, Lukaku will have the medical in Belgium before travelling to London within 24 hours – either on Sunday evening or Monday morning – and will be unveiled as a Chelsea player for the second time next week.
The report adds that Chelsea were determined to get the deal over the line by the end of the weekend to ensure their new asset could be as ready as possible for the start of their Premier League season.
The Blues start their domestic campaign at home to Crystal Palace on Saturday, 14 August, while they also have to contend with the UEFA Super Cup final against Villarreal on Wednesday night – European football’s traditional curtain-raiser.
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich sanctioned the pursuit of an elite goalscorer this summer following his side’s struggles in front of goal last season. The club’s negotiators turned their attentions to bringing Lukaku back to the club when talks over a £135m deal for Borussia Dortmund phenomenon Erling Haaland reached an impasse.
Blues scheduled another meeting in London over £34M attacker
According to Fabrizio Romano, The Atalanta board have a meeting pencilled in with Chelsea to discuss a potential transfer for Tammy Abraham.
Abraham has found the back of the net on a relatively consistent basis since being brought into the fold at Chelsea by Frank Lampard. Still, he’s never been seen as the long-term solution in attack for the Blues.
The club’s lack of faith in Abraham is telling, especially when you consider that there’s a €115M payment pending out of Roman Abramovich’s bank account to bring Romelu Lukaku to Chelsea.
As a result it’d be no surprise to see him sold before the transfer window closes later in the month.
If Fabrizio Romano is to be believed, and he usually is, Serie A outfit Atalanta are interested in taking Abraham off of Chelsea’s hands. They’re reportedly set to hold face-to-face talks with the Blues.
Atalanta board have a meeting scheduled in London with Chelsea in the next 48 hours to ask for Tammy Abraham as main target. Price tag around €40m. Arsenal and West Ham interested too ? #CFC
Atalanta gonna bid for Tammy if Inter will ask for Duván Zapata as Lukaku replacement.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 7, 2021
Atalanta can offer Abraham [who is valued at €40M, around £34M] Champions League football, but it’s unclear at this point whether he’d be keen on leaving England for Italy, especially with the World Cup in Qatar on the horizon.
Irrespective of whether Abraham’s move to Atalanta comes to fruition, it’d be a surprise to see him stick around at Chelsea. As Fabrizio Romano notes, Arsenal and West Ham are also keen.