Chelsea to meet with Serie A giants next week to discuss two players
Chelsea are reportedly set to meet with Inter Milan to discuss the future of Romelu Lukaku and the possibility of signing goalkeeper Andre Onana. According to The Evening Standard, the Blues are looking to start a summer overhaul, which could include selling Lukaku, who is currently on loan at Inter. The Belgian striker has only managed to score nine goals from 26 appearances in all competitions and has struggled with injury problems, which may make it difficult for him to convince the Serie A side to keep him.
As for Chelsea's goalkeeper situation, the club is seeking a new number one, and they have contacted representatives for several keepers, including Onana. The Cameroonian stopper has played 33 times in all competitions for Inter, keeping a clean sheet in 15 of those games. Acquiring Onana would be a significant signing for Chelsea, as they are looking to strengthen their goalkeeper position this summer, and the goalkeeper's stats in the 2022/23 campaign have been very impressive.
Lukaku is expected to return to Chelsea at the end of the season following his loan spell at Inter. The £97.5million striker wants to remain in Italy but faces a challenge to convince the Serie A club to keep him for another season on the current terms of his loan. Inter had an agreement to keep Lukaku next season for the same £7m loan fee and £165,000-a-week in wages, which is roughly half of his Chelsea contract, but he has missed 18 matches through injury since joining last summer. Inter are under financial pressure to offload players to cover club debts, and sending Lukaku back to Chelsea would help them balance their books. His future will be top on the agenda when the two clubs meet in Milan.
Chelsea's interest in Onana will also be discussed during the meeting, as they target a new goalkeeper this summer. The club may offer Kepa Arrizabalaga or Edouard Mendy in a swap deal, but it remains to be seen if the Italian giants would be interested in a player exchange or would prefer a larger transfer fee. Brentford's David Raya, Borussia Dortmund's Gregor Kobel, and Valencia's Giorgi Mamardashvili are among the other goalkeeper options that Chelsea has explored.
Overall, Chelsea's meeting with Inter Milan is expected to be crucial in deciding the future of Lukaku and the club's goalkeeper situation. The Blues will need to make important decisions on whether to keep Lukaku or sell him and who to sign as their new number one goalkeeper. The transfer window could be an exciting time for Chelsea fans, as they look to rebuild their squad for next season.
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