Chelsea record signing Romelu Lukaku wants out of Stamford Bridge – and he wants former Inter Milan manager Antonio Conte to bring him to Tottenham Hotspur.
That's the outrageous claim from La Gazzetta dello Sport, who say that the move could well happen, freeing up Juventus to go out and buy Fiorentina star Dusan Vlahovic, who has been heavily linked with Spurs.
Lukaku played the best football of his career under Conte at Inter, winning the Scudetto last season. In his recent explosive interview, the Belgian spoke highly of the Nerazzurri and he is still believed to be a keen fan of Conte's. Conte, meanwhile, has been heavily linked with a swoop for Vlahovic, hinting at the idea that Tottenham want another forward.
Chelsea have been reported as not even considering a sale of Lukaku, however. This deal feels extremely unlikely for a number of reasons.
£100m Lukaku is Chelsea's record signing and has only been at the club since the summer. Though the forward is yet to display his best at Stamford Bridge, he has shown clear signs of being the kind of all-round forward that Tuchel would favour in his set-up long-term.
Owner Roman Abramovich would certainly not consider letting the player leave for a loss – especially not midseason – and though Chelsea performed admirably at the weekend against Liverpool, a fully-firing Lukaku would certainly improve the team.
The west Londoners' leading names have all united around Tuchel, too. The likes of Jorginho, Thiago Silva and Cesar Azpilicueta are said to be on board with their manager, rather than Lukaku: giving Tuchel strength in the duel going forward. Tottenham, meanwhile, have no history of spending even £75m – the fee that Inter paid for Lukaku – let alone the £100m plus that Chelsea would no doubt demand.
Lukaku reportedly met with Tuchel today to discuss the situation.
