Out-of-favour Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku is among a number of players offered to Real Madrid in recent days, according to Marca.
The 29-year-old failed to live up to expectations in his first season since returning to Chelsea on a club-record deal.
Lukaku still led Chelsea’s goalscoring charts in all competitions, alongside Mason Mount and Kai Havertz (each had 13 goals), but it was still far below what was expected from a striker of his calibre.
His controversial interview back in December, in which he expressed his frustration over Thomas Tuchel’s system, has also put him in an awkward situation.
The striker is said to be keen on returning to Inter Milan, despite his lawyer’s describing the reports as “speculations”, but the Italian club reportedly cannot afford to sign him permanently and would prefer a potential loan deal (Sky Sports).
Lukaku offered to Real Madrid
Interestingly, according to Marca, Lukaku has also been offered to Real Madrid, alongside Manchester City’s Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling and AC Milan’s Rafael Leao.
Real Madrid could be in the market for an attacking player, having missed out on Kylian Mbappe, who decided to extend his stay at Paris Saint-Germain.
The Spanish publication, however, added that Jesus is the only player on the list who has caught the attention of Carlo Ancelotti.
Madrid already have Karim Benzema, so it is hardly a surprise that they might not be interested in Lukaku, who is the only out-and-out number nine on the list.
Based on this report, Chelsea are left with very few options since aside from Madrid, there are very few clubs capable of spending big on a player like Lukaku.
On the other hand, keeping the Belgium international, who is among the highest-earning players at Chelsea, would only make sense if Tuchel planned to give him a prominent role next season.
Keep up to date with all the latest Chelsea news and opinion by following The Chelsea Chronicle’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.