Chelsea receives a loan-to-buy offer for £97.5m underperforming player: report

Chelsea have received a loan-to-buy offer for one of their highly sought-after center forwards.

The Blues began the new Premier League campaign with a 2-0 home defeat against reigning champions Manchester City, with Erling Haaland and Mateo Kovacic both netting. Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca said he was content with his side's performance and believes his team was equal 'if not better' throughout the contest.

With plenty of activity happening at Stamford Bridge still, as we approach the summer window deadline, Chelsea have plenty of players they wish to offload. Conor Gallagher, Trevor Chalobah and Raheem Sterling all could depart, as well as one striker who arrived for a hefty fee in 2021.

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According to , Napoli have submitted a €30million (£26m) bid for Romelu Lukaku. The deal includes a loan-to-buy option which Chelsea are reported to have turned down given they only wish to explore options that include a full sale for the Belgian.

Lukaku has spent the last two seasons in Italy, one with Inter and one with Roma, having scored 23 goals across his loan spells in Serie A. He arrived back at Stamford Bridge three years later, arriving from Inter for a fee thought to be in the region of £97.5m at the time.

“I don’t want any controversy with them in England! I have to be smart, you know what I mean”. “Did I learn the lesson? Let me go, guys… I have to stay”, he told earlier this year.

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Transfermarkt values Lukaku at €30million (£26m) and you feel as if a deal with Napoli won't be out of the realms of possibility. Clubs in Saudi Arabia and Turkey have also shown their interest in the veteran forward, but a return to Italy seems the most likely destination once again. FourFourTwo agrees that a move to Serie A would suit all parties, especially given Lukaku's less-than-convincing spell once again in England.

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