Chelsea’s £98m man ‘wants’ Saudi move as another Newcastle United move could be hijacked

Forgotten Chelsea forward Romelu Lukaku has opened the door to a move to Saudi Arabia this summer, but remains the subject of interest from Italian giants AC Milan as well, according to reports from the Telegraph.

The outlet also understands that two former Chelsea managers in Antonio Conte, now of Napoli and Jose Mourinho of Fenerbahce are also interested in bringing the Belgian powerhouse to their respective clubs.

Mourinho worked with Lukaku during his second stint as Chelsea manager. He gave the youngster two chances to shine for the Blues in the Premier League after a productive 17-goal loan spell at West Brom but opted to send the youngster on loan to Everton in a move which was eventually made permanent for £28m in 2014.

Lukaku established himself as the Toffees all-time leading goalscorer of the Premier League era with 68 strikes in 141 games, prompting Mourinho to re-sign the forward for Manchester United in a blockbuster £75m deadline day deal. Lukaku impressed in his first season at Old Trafford by scoring 17 times but dipped down the pecking order in his second season under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

His form at Inter Milan allowed him to once again establish himself as one of the most formidable forwards in world football, but the move back to Chelsea for £97.5m in 2021 has been unsuccessful for the 31-year-old. He clashed with former boss Thomas Tuchel on several occasions in his first season back and managed just eight goals in 26 games while openly expressing his desire to return to Inter Milan.

He got his wish in a loan spell at the San Siro in 2022/23 and spent a second year out at AS Roma last season. Lukaku is under contract at Chelsea until 2026 but the club has ruled out loaning him out for a third season and insists that he will only leave if a permanent deal is reached.

Chelsea hope to hijack second Newcastle deal

Chelsea kick-started their summer business by confirming the signing of Newcastle-linked defender Tosin Adarabioyo on a free transfer from Fulham - and now they are hoping to entice another Newcastle target to Stamford Bridge in Everton forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin, according to reports.

Calvert-Lewin has been a key member of the Everton team for eight seasons and boasts a record of 54 goals from 214 league appearances. Despite struggling with injuries in recent seasons he remains the club’s best goalscorer. However, the 27-year-old’s contract is due to expire next summer and talks over a new deal have been stalling in recent weeks, according to Football Insider. 

Earlier this month, Telegraph reporter Luke Edwards claimed Newcastle would attempt to use this to their advantage as they look for a long-term successor to Calvert-Lewin. However, fresh reports from Mail Sport claim Chelsea are now monitoring the situation closely as they could potentially plan a move of their own under new boss Enzo Maresca.

Bournemouth star Dominic Solanke could be available to ‘certain clubs’

Dominic Solanke has enjoyed a season to remember with Bournemouth and is desperately unlucky not be in the England squad after an impressive tally of 19 goals in 38 appearances for the Cherries this term. The former Chelsea and Liverpool reserve team player has proven himself to be one of the top strikers in the Premier League on current form and could be the subject of interest from some of the top teams in the league.

The Athletic’s Adam Levethal understands that the striker’s existing deal at the Vitality Stadium includes a £65m release clause but adds that it can only be activated by certain clubs in the division. The report fails to mention which clubs that release clause specifically applies to but does speculate that it will only apply to leading clubs in either the Premier League or the Champions League that are set to play in elite competitions next term.

Solanke’s existing contract runs until the summer of 2027 following his £19m plus add ons switch from Liverpool in the summer of 2019. The outlet adds aswell that if a £65m deal was to be reached this summer, Liverpool would be entitled to a windfall of around £9m. The Reds did initially have a buy-back clause when they facilitated the deal but that clause has since expired.