Lukaku at Chelsea waiting for a solution

The small Cobham & Stoke d’Abernon station looks like a place out of time, with its red bricks that are more industrial revolution than 21st century. Next to platform 2, the one where the not very modern trains that arrive from London and continue towards Guildfrod stop, hidden by the trees there is a wooden gate that leads to a sort of parallel universe: the Chelsea training center. The one where Romelu Lukaku today returned to the life he had decided he would never return to: that of a Blues player. In general indifference, since there wasn’t even a fan to welcome him.

the return

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Neither Chelsea nor Lukaku would have wanted this situation. When the Blues decided to entrust the bench to Mauricio Pochettino for the relaunch after their worst season ever in the Premier League, the Belgian was still playing at Inter and had said several times that he would do anything to return, because London is none he wanted to know more. And he didn’t change his mind even when the Blues asked him if he was willing to try again. Instead, he changed his mind about where he wanted to play, which made his return to Cobham inevitable. Chelsea tried in every possible way to avoid him: initially they expected him on Wednesday 12 July, then seeing that the negotiations with Inter seemed to be in the pipeline, they postponed the return to Monday 17 and then until today, by mutual agreement with the player. They were all convinced that it would have been a pro forma, a due deed for a player under contract who does not fit into the club’s plans. Except that when Lukaku changed his mind he confined himself to this limbo, training alone or almost alone in the center of Cobham, while 29 players from Chelsea, Pochettino and all the management are in the USA, engaged in a tour from which they will not return before beginning of August. When, everyone hopes, Lukaku will have come out of this limbo and found a new team.

the suitors

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Juve and Al Hilal remain, after the withdrawal of Inter. Chelsea doesn’t care which of the two Lukaku will play for, as long as someone comes and takes him with at least 40 million euros. The black and white offer, to be exact, but conditioned by the sale by 4 August of Dusan Vlahovic. Lukaku is waiting for now, sure that his place is still in big European football, preferably in Italy despite the objections of the Juventus fans and the accusations of “betrayal” from those of the Nerazzurri. He will continue to train in the next few days together with the other Blues redundancies (Hakim Ziyech and Pierre Aubameyang, who however seems very close to Marseille) and with all the players who were left out of the tour for physical reasons. Waiting for the decisive call to arrive from his agent. Meanwhile, Al Hilal continues to tempt him: they have 50 million ready for Chelsea, they could raise the offer for the player to 30 million per season if Lukaku gives a nod. But in the meantime, Aleksandar Mitrovic, a Serbian from Fulham, is working on plan B, eager to go to Arabia and monetize an excellent season in the Premier League with the richest contract of his career. The Cottagers are not hearing us for now and have said no twice, but if the Saudis reach 50 million they could give up. With all due respect to Lukaku.

sentences

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Meanwhile, from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Pochettino told Chelsea’s version. “We are in this situation because we are all in agreement – explained the coach -. The club will find the best solution for everyone, but the decision we took was obviously endorsed by the players. We are all in the position we want to be in.” His position is always the same: Lukaku has decided that he does not want to be part of Chelsea and will not be part of it. “We are happy with the players we have here in the USA” said Pochettino, who in his first American press conference had to deal above all with the injury which risks having already compromised Wesley Fofana’s season. Lukaku for now remains in his limbo, training in Cobham where he never hoped to return. Waiting for Juve to find the money to buy him. Or that the Arab offer, as long as it remains on the plate, will become absolutely indispensable