Chelsea finally agree £5m loan deal with Roma for wantaway Romelu Lukaku as Jose Mourinho prepares to be reunited with the striker.
The 30-year-old Romelu Lukaku will take a pay cut to reunite with his former boss Jose Mourinho with Chelsea receiving just over £5million as a loan fee.
Chelsea accepted less than their desired £8m fee so that they will not have to make any contribution to Lukaku’s salary while he is in Rome where he will earn around £6.4million.
However, he must take a further cut should he return to Chelsea again after a year with Lukaku previously raking in £320,000-per-week, while the Blues have also inserted a £37million release clause into his revised contract.
Chelsea had been intent on selling Lukaku this summer, until the Belgian turned down a move to Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia, effectively sabotaged a switch to Inter Milan and then decided he did not want to join Juventus. Inter had offered £23m and £26m before pulling out after discovering that Lukaku had been talking to Juventus.
Chelsea were then forced to consider a loan but wanted to protect themselves from paying Lukaku a hefty salary once again should he return next summer, when he would still have two years left on his contract.
Chelsea are now intent on adding another forward, ideally with Premier League experience.
Barcelona’s Raphinha and Ferran Torres are among names to have been discussed as well as Arsenal’s Emile Smith-Rowe as they assess options.
Roma officials Tiago Pinto and Dan Friedkin are scheduled to fly with Lukaku via private jet to Rome’s Campino airport for 5pm Tuesday.