Romelu Lukaku has been put up on Chelsea’s transfer list as the club seeks to sell the striker for £50 million or to get him a loan move which will cover his salary, according to reports.
Chelsea is currently on autopilot in its administration after sanctions by the government of the United Kingdom hit the club’s billionaire owner, Roman Abramovich, on Thursday.
The Russian politician, entrepreneur, oil magnate and business mogul bought the club in 2003 for £140 million during his time as governor of the Chukotka region in Russia.
He has since spent a lot of money on making Chelsea into a massive football institution but more notable is the £1.5 billion loan which he gave the club in their down time to help them achieve their goals.
As a result, Chelsea have attracted some of the world’s best players in the 19 years in which Abramovich has been owner.
Following the invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces on the orders of Russian president Vladimir Putin, who Abramovic has been reported to be linked to, the UK government has sanctioned the billionaire and frozen all of his assets in the country in a bid to put pressure on the Russian government through him.
One of the fallouts is that Chelsea, one of Abramovich’s assets, will be prevented from carrying out transfer business, selling tickets to fans, selling merchandise or partaking in any form of commercial activity.
This could affect the future of a lot of players, especially those who have expiring contracts. However, reports have emerged that Romelu Lukaku, who was brought back to the club for £100 million in the summer, has been offered to French Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain, for £50 million.
The club is also reported to be open to a paid loan which will cover all of Lukaku’s salary.
The funds are expected to help Chelsea’s cause in the coming months.
Tuchel: All we can do is keep winning
Elsewhere, Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has said that his side will continue to focus on football and try to shut out the noise surrounding the club.
The Blues play host to Newcastle United on Saturday, and Tuchel, who admitted that the Tyneside club is on the rise, believes that focusing on the achievables on the pitch is best for his team.
“As long as we have a fixture and as long as we have enough shirts and as long as the bus is full of fuel, we will be there, we will be competitive and we will be there in the best spirit because we love the game,” the German said.
“This is what everyone can be sure of and this is what we demand of ourselves. When it’s a big storm you dig in and you hold together and hold strong and get through it.
“It’s always the best way for a football team, to carry on winning. Of course also for us it’s maybe at the moment a bit more difficult because of the noise. There will be some players who feel uncertainty, some will maybe be a bit frightened, some will be concerned. It’s normal.
“It’s also not only about the players. We have a lot of people in the staff and in the club who are maybe also worried and scared and uncertain. That’s why it’s very important that we keep the trust and the belief in the training centre, in all of us, and we rely on ourselves and in the end allow ourselves to be the guys who take care of the sport, because we did not cause the situation, we cannot solve the situation.
“So it can also I think give us a little bit the freedom in the end to still enjoy what we are doing and still follow the responsibility to give everything and what we demand from ourselves. This is what we do and I am happy that we can still produce results and performances. We will be on it again to be ready for Sunday.”
