Aston Villa are reportedly interested in signing Romelu Lukaku from Premier League rivals Chelsea.
Chelsea have put Romelu Lukaku on the market, with the striker currently not part of the first team.
Napoli are also interested in him, and it has been claimed that things are now getting tense between Lukaku and Chelsea as he holds out for a move to the 2023 Serie A champions.
Chelsea want him gone, but with Napoli yet to make an acceptable offer for the 31-year-old, he remains at the Blues’ Cobham training ground.
Romelu Lukaku not keen on Aston Villa move
While Villa may be interested in Lukaku, it looks like the Belgian has no intention of joining them this summer.
According to Corriere dello Sport, Lukaku has said no to the Premier League club repeatedly.
The Italian outlet claims that the Belgium international is only interested in a move to Napoli, where he would get to reunite with former manager Antonio Conte.
It has been reported that Lukaku and Conte have been messaging each other. It is now up to Napoli to reach some sort of agreement with Chelsea.
Romelu Lukaku’s wages
Chelsea will be desperate to get rid of Lukaku and his wages before the transfer window closes.
He is not part of their first-team squad and is earning so much money. As per Spotrac, Lukaku pockets £325,000-a-week, making him the joint-highest earner at Chelsea alongside Raheem Sterling.
It would be great if the Blues could get Sterling’s wages off their books as well. His performances have not warranted the kind of money that he is earning, while Pedro Neto is now at the club.
The 29-year-old has been very inconsistent at Chelsea since arriving from Manchester City in 2022. Last season, he was only able to score eight goals in the Premier League. The campaign before that, Sterling only managed six.
It is still some contribution, though. Lukaku has given Chelsea nothing over the last two years, so they have to prioritise getting rid of him first.
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