Roma make Chelsea contact over permanent Romelu Lukaku deal with enticing swap offer that could solve major Pochettino issue

Tammy Abraham could make a shock to return to Chelsea as part of a swap deal for Romelu Lukaku, who is currently on loan with Roma. 

Jose Mourinho signed the England international for the Italian club in 2021, and the striker has played a key role in their recent success.

Abraham was instrumental in Roma’s Europa Conference League victory in 2022. He has made 107 appearances in all competitions for the Giallorossi, scoring 36 goals and making 12 assists in the process.

The 25-year-old had a disastrous end to last season, though, picking up a tear in his anterior cruciate ligament on the final matchday of the season.

As a result, Abraham is expected to be sidelined until March next year at the earliest.

This forced Roma to bring in a new striker to replace him, and they signed Lukaku on a season-long loan after months of speculation about the Belgian. 

Now, a shock report has claimed that the Italian club could use Abraham in a swap deal for Lukaku at the end of the season, which could help Mauricio Pochettino solve his team’s problems in front of goal.

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Lukaku out, Abraham in for Chelsea?

Lukaku has made an impressive start to life at Roma this season. The 30-year-old, who helped Inter Milan reach the Champions League final last term, has scored three goals in four outings for Roma so far.

According to Italian outlet Calcio Mercato, if Lukaku continues his rich vein of form, Roma could offer Abraham in a straight swap for the Belgium international at the end of the season.

After being reunited with Mourinho, Lukaku has forged an impressive partnership with Paulo Dybala and has cemented his spot in the starting XI.

Lukaku re-signed for Chelsea in 2021 for a then-club record fee of £97.5m. He never lived up to his price tag at Stamford Bridge, though, and now Pochettino is keen to get his £325,000 per week wage off the books permanently.

It’s thought that Roma would only sanction a move for Lukaku if Roma qualify for the Champions League next season. They have got off to a disappointing start, picking up just five points in five Serie A matches so far.

Mourinho will hope that Lukaku’s goals can help his team break into the top four, and if they do, we could see Abraham make a shock return to Chelsea, if the London club sign off on the swap.

Indeed, whether or not the Blues would be willing to take a punt on a player who has just had a serious knee injury, remains to be seen.

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