Juventus travel to London to secure deal for Chelsea misfit

There have been rumors out of Italy that Juventus director Cristiano Giuntoli will be making a trip to London to negotiate a transfer for Romelu Lukaku.

The 30-year-old is holding out for a move, therefore he’s staying at Chelsea‘s Cobham training camp while the rest of the team is in the United States for preparations. Since Mauricio Pochettino did not choose him for the pre-season camp, his future is not at Stamford Bridge.

Inter and Saudi moves were ruled out

After a successful loan season with Inter last season, Inter wanted him permanently. Moreover, the club made two bids to acquire the Belgian. Sky Italia reported those offers peaked in the neighborhood of $32 million. Yet, the Italian club pulled out of the race to bring the striker back.

Al-Hilal, a club from the Saudi Arabian Pro League, had also made an official try to acquire the Belgium striker from Chelsea. The wealthy Saudi squad is also attempting to negotiate a transfer for Aleksandar Mitrovic from Fulham.

Juventus director goes to London to secure Lukaku deal

Neither Lukaku nor Chelsea is enthusiastic about a potential loan arrangement. Lukaku wants the security, while Chelsea wants to recoup some of the $125 million it paid two years ago. Both prefer a transfer to Juventus. Talks took place in the week before the Istanbul final.

His final game for Inter was the aforementioned UEFA Champions League Final. He made a substitute appearance in that game as Inter fell to Manchester City.

In order to explore whether a deal can be made to bring in the striker this summer, Juventus director Cristiano Giuntoli is traveling to England shortly, as per Italian news outlet Calciomercato. Supposedly, it will be tough for the Old Lady to complete a deal with Lukaku if they can’t find a buyer for Dusan Vlahovic.

While everything is going on, The Times reports Juventus can operate on a budget of about $45 million. However, the club would rather complete a short-term arrangement in place until the end of the season.

PHOTO: IMAGO / Nicolo Campo