Chelsea have agreed an extraordinary deal in principle for Romelu Lukaku to join Roma on loan for the season.
Following almost four days of intense negotiations, Chelsea, Roma and Lukaku have found an agreement that will see him return to Italy with contracts being finalised on Monday evening.
In what is a highly complicated deal, Chelsea will receive a loan fee of more than £5million with Lukaku agreeing to take a wage cut so that the Blues will not have to make any contribution to his salary while he’s in Rome. He will be reunited with Jose Mourinho, the Roma manager, following the pair’s spell at Manchester United back in 2018.
Lukaku will earn just over £6m during his season at Roma, but has also had to agree to a further cut should he return to Chelsea in 12 months. Italian sources claim he will fly to Rome to complete his medical on Tuesday afternoon.
Chelsea had been intent on selling Lukaku this summer, until the Belgian turned down a move to Saudi Arabia, effectively sabotaged a switch to Inter Milan and then decided he did not want to join Juventus.
That forced Chelsea to consider a loan deal, but they have been adamant that they will not leave themselves open to paying Lukaku huge sums again should he return to the club next summer, when he would have two years remaining on his contract.
Roma is seen as a last chance for Lukaku in Europe amid belief that he will be forced to go to Saudi next year if his latest loan spell in Italy is not a success.
Chelsea turned down bids of £23m and £26m from Inter Milan earlier in the window, while Al-Hilal offered significantly more, but Lukaku did not want to move to Saudi Arabia this summer.
Clinching a deal for Lukaku to leave, even temporarily, will be a huge relief for Chelsea and the club will try to sign a new offensive player before the transfer window shuts at the end of this week.
Chelsea made checks on Sporting Lisbon’s Marcus Edwards, who Mauricio Pochettino nicknamed ‘mini Messi’ at Tottenham, a few weeks ago but nothing transpired, while interest could be revived in Raphinha, who moved to Barcelona instead of Chelsea last summer.
Arsenal’s Emile Smith Rowe has also been linked with Chelsea and Pochettino has made it clear that he would like a new offensive player to be Premier League ready.