Saudi Arabia in discussion with Chelsea to sign “complete” Chelsea star as main target
Al-Ittihad of the Saudi Pro League has contacted the player’s management and is already “in contacts” with Chelsea regarding the possibility of signing a high-earning player this summer.
Concerns over Chelsea’s PSR drive possible summer sales.
According to some reports, Chelsea’s rivals are under the real belief that Mauricio Pochettino’s side will have to raise around £100 million through player sales before June 30 – or risk potential sanctions.
This information comes from reliable journalists like Matt Law of The Telegraph, so June will mark a very important month for Clearlake Capital takeover who will be very eager to avoid Premier League punishment.
Everton, Nottingham Forest and Leicester City have made all the headlines for their charges in recent months, and Chelsea won’t want to suffer the same fate after spending over £1 billion on transfers since 2022.
£400 million of that came just last summer as Todd Boehly and co attempted to back Pochettino for his first full campaign in charge, but this ambition may need to be rectified with key exits later this year.
There are multiple interesting names who could be on the way out of Stamford Bridge at the end of this season. Chelsea are apparently set to put Conor Gallagher up for sale, despite his star player status.
The Englishman’s contract expires in 2025, and he’d go down as pure profit given he came through the Cobhman academy. The same can be said of versatile defender Trevoh Chalobah, with Sky journalist Dharmesh Sheth saying these are two names to watch out for.
“We also thought that before June 30th 2024, they’re going to have to make sales as well,” said Sheth.
“So you would think decisions, particularly on some of their homegrown players and their academy players, will have to be made before June 30th. So keep an eye on the likes of Conor Gallagher, keep an eye on the likes of Trevoh Chalobah as well, because selling those players would represent pure profit for Chelsea, which is probably what they need going into the next financial year from July 1st onwards.”
Another player who Chelsea will be keen to offload permanently is £325,000-per-week ace Romelu Lukaku, currently on loan at Roma.
Al-Ittihad already in discussions with Chelsea to sign Lukaku
According to journalist Rudy Galetti, writing for Tribal Football, Saudi side Al-Ittihad and other teams from the Middle East have shortlisted the Belgian as a “main target”.
Al-Ittihad have already started contacts with Chelsea to sign Lukaku, and are doing the same with his representatives, as they attempt to strike a move for the “complete” forward ahead of this summer.
The 30-year-old has bagged 10 goals in 28 Serie A games for Roma this season, not exactly a glowing return, so he could go down as one of Chelsea’s biggest flops of the last decade following his £97.5 million move from Inter Milan in 2021.