Tuchel ‘Really Wants’ to sign £150 million man as Chelsea set asking price for Romelu Lukaku
Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel reportedly ‘really wants’ his side to sign West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice this summer.
However, This comes following the Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital takeover of the club, with the consortium entering their first summer as owners of Chelsea.
As per journalist Dean Jones, Tuchel would like to see his side sign Rice this summer.
Speaking on the Ranks FC podcast, Jones revealed: “The other one (Thomas) Tuchel really, really, really wants is Declan Rice. This is back on the table. Obviously, there is the huge issue of his fee.
“So a lot of people are not really considering this transfer a thing at the moment. I am, I believe that this is one that might yet emerge.”
It was previously revealed that the Hammers are confident no club will match their huge valuation, of reportedly £150 million, for Rice, who still has two years left on his deal with an option of a further year.
However, this price tag has reportedly dropped to £120 million, as the Irons would not be able to turn down such a big fee.
Rice has informed West Ham that he believes the time is right to depart the club, with Chelsea circling for his signature and with Todd Boehly’s consortium set to hand Thomas Tuchel a war chest of £200 million this summer, Rice could come in for the majority of the budget.
With both N’Golo Kante and Jorginho out of contract in 2023, Tuchel could look to bring in midfield reinforcements in the summer but it is unclear as to whether the Blues are targeting a move for the England star.
Chelsea set asking price for Romelu Lukaku
It seems as if there is no redemption for Romelu Lukaku at Chelsea. The striker returned to play for his former club last summer after a successful stint at Inter Milan.
Moreover, the Blues splashed a whopping £97 million to bring back their player. However, Lukaku has failed to live up to the expectations at Stamford Bridge forcing manager Thomas Tuchel to lose his trust in the player. But things could look different for the 29-year-old as he faces an uncertain future at Chelsea.
Romelu Lukaku scored just 15 goals for Chelsea this season in 44 games, with only 8 of those coming in the Premier League. Moreover, his comments about the manager’s system being the reason for his poor form have not been forgotten by Tuchel. Further on, in the same interview, Lukaku also claimed that he felt much better at Inter and would want to return. His wish could be granted this summer with Chelsea ready to part ways with their record signing. The Nerazzurri have shown immense interest and are trying to engineer a transfer for Lukaku.
Though Inter is ready to take Lukaku back, the Financial Fair Play regulations prohibit them from signing him on a permanent deal. As a result, the Serie A side is considering a loan move for the Belgian. Romelu Lukaku was a hit at Inter before rejoining Chelsea.
The striker scored 64 goals in 95 appearances for Inter, also helping them to the Scudetto in 20/21. Further on, Lukaku’s partnership with Lautaro Martinez at Inter brought the best out of him. However, Lukaku has found it difficult to settle in Tuchel’s 3-4-3 failing to deliver for the Blues.
But Chelsea is ready to facilitate his move back to Inter, on a loan deal. According to The Telegraph, Chelsea wants £20 million as a loan fee from the Italian club. The outlet further adds that the Premier League club will not listen to anything less than their asking price.
The Blues are thinking of a one-year loan deal, with a plan to include a mandatory buy option. Chelsea is hoping to unload Romelu Lukaku permanently in 2023 to Inter. Furthermore, reports are fresh as well that the striker is ready to take a ‘significant’ pay cut to reunite with Inter.
Nonetheless, if other clubs are keeping tabs on Lukaku’s situation at Chelsea as well. German giants Bayern Munich and Spanish side FC Barcelona are the ones reportedly interested in Lukaku. Bayern eye Lukaku as Robert Lewandowski’s replacement who is poised to leave for Barcelona. On the other hand, the Catalans consider Lukaku as an alternative to Lewandowski.
Bayern have made it clear to Barcelona that they have no plans of taking less than £30 million for their star striker. The Bundesliga champions further plan to invest the fee in signing Romelu Lukaku from Chelsea. Meanwhile, Barcelona will only opt for a loan deal for Lukaku since they are also bound by FFP.