Chelsea outcast Romelu Lukaku is reportedly not interested in joining Newcastle United or AC Milan as his future continues to be clouded by uncertainty.
According to a report by Evening Standard, Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku is prepared to push back any advancements from Serie A giants AC Milan. He is also set to give any future Newcastle United move a pass, but it is still unclear whether the Premier League club are really interested in him.
The Belgian striker is facing an uncertain future at Chelsea under manager Thomas Tuchel. Lukaku has fallen down the pecking order at the club, especially following his Sky Italia interview in December, where he criticised the manager’s system.
Kai Havertz has mostly been used as a striker by the German tactician, with Lukaku spending most of his time on the bench. The former Manchester United man has scored 12 goals across competitions for Chelsea following his £97.5 million move last summer, just five of which have come in the Premier League.
Though there is no clarity over Chelsea’s future owners as well, they will want to continue with Tuchel, who helped the club win the UEFA Champions League title in his first season with them. With Tuchel at the helm, there is little chance that Lukaku will get a look-in if the ongoing season is anything to go by.
Even with his Chelsea future in the balance, Lukaku is not willing to join current Serie A leaders AC Milan. The striker does not want to upset Inter fans, especially following his departure last summer. Lukaku’s exorbitant £300,000-a-week wages, in addition to a steep asking price from Chelsea, could also be a big hindrance in any potential move this summer.
While Newcastle are one side who would not worry about matching his demands under the new owners, the Chelsea outcast is not interested in joining the Magpies. With more options closing down, Lukaku’s final hope could be to convince Tuchel that he could lead the Chelsea attack with consistent performances.
The report states that the 28-year-old prefers to stay at Chelsea and prove himself. But for that, he will need to get into Tuchel’s plans as the next season rolls on.
