wicked.football

The centre-forward position will come back into focus at Chelsea in the near future after reports detailed intriguing updates on Romelu Lukaku and Tammy Abraham.

When Lukaku was brought back to the club last summer, it was expected Chelsea’s centre-forward position would be locked up for a considerable number of years. Tammy Abraham left for Roma to further ensure Lukaku would go unchallenged as the primary No 9.

However, the Belgian has struggled on the pitch thus far, operating at a goals ratio of around one in three. While that may be adequate to some, it is not what Chelsea or Thomas Tuchel expected from a £97.5m signing.

Lukaku infamously registered just seven touches in the recent 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace. That led to Kai Havertz being preferred as a false nine in the Champions League victory over Lille on Tuesday.

Jamie Carragher suggested Lukaku’s time at Stamford Bridge may be prematurely cut short in the summer if he is overlooked for the EFL Cup final on Sunday. The Liverpool legend reckons a player of Lukaku’s value and influence is unsuited to a squad role.

However, according to the Mirror, a potential escape route has now closed. They state former club Inter – where Lukaku excelled over a brilliant two-year span – are not interested in re-signing the striker.

Tammy Abraham threat looming on Lukaku’s horizon

Inter cannot muster the finances required to sanction a move. And what’s more, Lukaku is reportedly determined to stay in London and make his Chelsea return a success anyway.

However, a second report from the Sun has thrown a wrinkle into the Belgian’s plans.

Citing Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport, it’s reported former Blues marksman Tammy Abraham ‘hopes to return to Chelsea’ in the future.

Abraham is impressing just as Lukaku did upon his move to Serie A. Under Jose Mourinho at Roma this season, Abraham has bagged 18 goals in 34 matches.

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano previously confirmed Chelsea inserted a buy-back clause into Abraham’s deal. The Blues can re-sign the 24-year-old for £68m – twice what they sold him for – once he has completed two full seasons in Rome. As such, he can be bought in the summer of 2023.

All eyes will therefore be on how Abraham and Lukaku perform over the next 18 months. If Lukaku finds his feet and adapts to Tuchel’s system, there will be no need to re-sign Abraham despite his desire to return.

But if Lukaku continues to labour, Chelsea will have a readymade and proven replacement in their sights for the start of the 2023/24 campaign.

The most unlikely clubs former England internationals have played for

Man Utd line up summer Chelsea coup

Meanwhile, Manchester United will make a move for Antonio Rudiger in the summer, which is the only time the Chelsea defender will be willing to discuss his future.

Rudiger is out of contract at the end of the season after his fifth season at Stamford Bridge. A number of top clubs are queuing up for his signature if the Blues are unable to keep him. He has been linked with a move to the continent, where someone like Real Madrid or PSG could sign him.

According to the Daily Mirror, he knows he could earn up to £400,000 per week. At present, Chelsea are offering half that for him to renew.

The report claims that Man Utd are another team who could make an attempt to sign the Germany international. Their interim manager Ralf Rangnick is an admirer of the former Stuttgart centre-half.

The chance to sign him on a free transfer is appealing, when other targets could cost a lot of money. Instead, the only significant investment for Rudiger would be his wages.

According to the Mirror, interest in Rudiger would also mean doubts over the Man Utd future of their captain, Harry Maguire. His form has come into question in what has been a turbulent season at Old Trafford.

READ MORE: Chelsea cast aside former Arsenal star from shortlist, with deal now expected for favoured target

The post Thriving ex-Chelsea striker ‘wants to return’, as Inter align thinking with Lukaku appeared first on TEAMtalk.