Chelsea set their asking price for Lukaku to offload the striker this summer

Chelsea have reportedly set their asking price for Romelu Lukaku, as they prepare to permanently offload the striker this summer.

The Blues splashed out a then-club record fee of £98m to sign Lukaku from Inter Milan in 2021, but he endured a miserable campaign and criticised manager Thomas Tuchel in a bombshell interview.

He returned to Inter on loan last season, and is now at Roma on a temporary basis for the current campaign, but Chelsea are looking to sell him in the next transfer window.

They are prepared to take a huge hit on the 30-year-old to get him off their books, with Italian outlet Calciomercato reporting that they will demand just €43m (£37m) - a loss of more than £60m.

Lukaku turned down a move to Saudi Arabia last summer to return to Italy, and has impressed for Roma this season.

He has scored 15 goals in 26 appearances, proving to be on the biggest positives in a disappointing campaign that led to Jose Mourinho's sacking last week.

Roma currently sit eighth in Serie A and face a battle to earn a European spot, which is likely to be a minimum requirement for them to have any chance of keeping Lukaku beyond this summer.

Lukaku's wages could also be an issue for the Italian club, with the forward's Chelsea contract, which is due to expire in 2026 - believed to be worth around £10m-a-year.

With this in mind, a move to Saudi Arabia could finally materialise later this year.

Roma faced Al-Shabab in a friendly in Riyadh earlier this week, and Lukaku praised the strength of the Saudi Pro League, claiming it can become 'one of the best in the world' over the coming years.

He also said he could 'absolutely' see himself playing in the league in the future, fuelling speculation that a move to the Middle East could be on