Romano says Italian club have submitted initial bid to sign 30-year-old Chelsea player

Fabrizio Romano confirms AS Roma have already submitted first offer for Romelu Lukaku

According to Fabrizio Romano, AS Roma have now submitted their first bid for Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku after both clubs concluded their negotiations.

Roma and Chelsea have also discussed salary and player fee coverage as Lukaku is set to join the Serie A club on a season-long loan after the Blues once again failed to sell him permanently.

The Belgian striker isn’t in the plans of Mauricio Pochettino, and Chelsea are now open to sending the centre-forward on another loan spell. It will potentially see him return to Italy, where he was playing last season on loan with Inter Milan.

Juventus showed interest in the former Manchester United striker but negotiations stalled because the Serie A club demanded cash plus a player deal. The former Everton striker cost £97.5 million to acquire, and the club’s efforts to recuperate part of that money haven’t been successful thus far.

Now Lukaku could join another Serie A club on loan, and the Blues fans will hope that Roma sign the player permanently at the end of the spell. It is also understood that Lukaku is in Rome to complete the transfer.

Again, this is not a permanent exit for Lukaku, but it is better as long as he stays outside the club. He will be working with Jose Mourinho again at Roma, where he may attempt to reinvigorate his career after a slump at Inter last year.

Hopefully, he makes a favourable impression there so Roma make a move to get him in permanently.

We’ve been working diligently to get rid of him, so let’s hope Roma agrees to cover his full salary. Now 30, Lukaku would also be eager to settle at a club where he can play regularly.

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Keeping him in the XI requires the team to play a certain way where Lukaku’s strengths are highlighted. He isn’t agile or smooth on the ball, and that goes against the free-flowing Pochettino is trying here. It seemed inevitable that he would leave and once again, the Blues will see the back of the Belgian international, albeit temporarily.