Chelsea now reject £23m bid for player who Pochettino is desperate to sell, will accept £40m

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Chelsea have now rejected a £23m bid from Inter Milan for Romelu Lukaku – a player who Mauricio Pochettino is desperate to sell.

That is according to the Daily Mail.

So, what is the latest on Romelu Lukaku at Chelsea? Let’s take a look…

What’s the story?

Well – according to the Telegraph – the Belgian is one of four players Pochettino hopes to offload before Wednesday, along with Christian Pulisic, Hakim Ziyech and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

A story from Gazzetta dello Sport adds that Lukaku has no intention of returning for pre-season training at Cobham, as he holds out for a move to Inter Milan.

Now, the Italian giants have made a concrete bid for the Belgium international, after Chelsea informed those at the San Siro that another loan deal does not interest them.

The Daily Mail believe Inter Milan have bid £23m for Lukaku, although Chelsea are holding out for a sum of £40m for the man they paid £97.5m for back in August 2021.

Inter Milan are set to receive around £40m from Manchester United for the imminent sale of Andre Onana, with a portion of those funds now likely to be spent on the 30-year-old striker.

Chelsea should not delay Lukaku exit

If Pochettino really does want Lukaku gone before Wednesday, those at Stamford Bridge need to make it happen – even if it means accepting a little less than £40m.

The Antwerp-born striker is likely to sour the positive atmosphere at Chelsea if he returns to Cobham with one eye on the exit door, and the Daily Mail add that Pochettino only wants to work with those who are 100% committed.

Therefore, it should be a priority for Todd Boehly to get rid of Lukaku, before giving Pochettino whatever funds are received to spend on a new striker.

Hopefully, all parties can find a solution in the coming days – be sure to keep an eye out for developments.