Chelsea outcast picks next club with Pochettino’s side tipped to save over £16m in wages

Chelsea forward Romelu Lukaku is reportedly set on a move to Roma which will see the Belgian international reunite with Jose Mourinho.

It’s no secret that Chelsea have been looking to move Lukaku on all summer. Plenty of clubs have registered an interest in the 30-year-old, but talks have been progressing slowly.

Mauricio Pochettino has made his feelings clear on the player as the striker has been forced to train with the club’s U21 squad as he looks for a move away.

Lukaku himself has snubbed interest from Saudi Arabia this summer and Juventus have been unsuccessful in their attempts to sign him up until this point.

With Chelsea seemingly desperate to get Lukaku off their wage bill as soon as possible, Roma have swooped in with a tempting proposal.

While Chelsea are looking to sell the wantaway star on a permanent basis, they might have to settle for a loan deal. According to The Telegraph, Roma are in talks with Chelsea regarding a season-long loan.

The report states that Lukaku has become frustrated with Juventus and how long they have taken to strike a deal and so he is now keen on a move to Roma instead.

There’s no doubt that Lukaku’s return to Chelsea hasn’t gone to plan, but his record in Serie A remains impressive. Even during an injury-hit campaign for Inter Milan last season, Lukaku still averaged a goal contribution every 104 minutes.

Roma are also set to sign Bayer Leverkusen forward Sardar Azmoun on Friday, but their plan all along has been to sign two strikers this summer.

Chelsea would save over £16m

While Chelsea won’t be selling Lukaku on a permanent basis, they will be saving a significant amount of money by shifting him off the wage bill.

According to Sky Sport Italia‘s Gianluca Di Marzio, the Italian club are willing to cover his entire wage in order to sign the Chelsea man on loan. Capology have estimated that Lukaku is currently earning £325,000 per week which works out at £16.9m over a full year.

This will be a significant saving from Chelsea’s point of view, although in an ideal world they would have sold him on a permanent basis.

It seems unlikely that Roma will include the obligation to buy Lukaku in the deal, despite Chelsea been keen on his clause being in the contract.

Chelsea themselves are still in the market for a new number nine this summer and the departure of Lukaku could signal a new signing being made.

Nicolas Jackson has shown some early signs of promise, but Pochettino will be keen to have some more depth in this position. Chelsea have been linked with Arsenal forward Folarin Balogun, although he seems keen on a move to Monaco instead.

With time soon running out in this summer transfer window, Chelsea will have to make a move sooner rather than later if they are looking to land another striker.

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