Mourinho breaks silence on Lukaku transfer as Chelsea flop set for loan exit

Chelsea transfer news: Romelu Lukaku looks set for a loan move this summer and a reunion with Jose Mourinho appears to be on the cards.

It comes as just one week remains in the market across most of Europe, which would drastically reduce the options available to the Belgian if he does not move beforehand. His career at Stamford Bridge to date has been disappointing, given the £97.5million the club paid to bring him back in 2021, following his spell as a youngster in his formative years.

While the 30-year-old did get off to a decent start, a mixture of injuries and Covid impacted his availability before an unsanctioned interview with Sky Italia totally destroyed relations. It would see the forward move on to join his former side Inter Milan once again on loan for the campaign - one which ended with defeat in the Champions League final.

The Nerazzurri were interested in another return, with Chelsea looking to permanently move him on this summer, but they cut ties after rumours of a deal with Juventus. The Bianconeri seem unlikely to secure a switch, while Saudi Arabian sides have been turned down by the player.

It means that an exit is unlikely in a permanent capacity this summer, however the Telegraph reports that a loan deal is the more likely outcome. Talks have been under way with AS Roma that would see Lukaku reunite with Mourinho, the manager who signed him for Manchester United several years ago.

Mourinho brushed over the discussion on the striker when asked about transfers in his pre-match press conference on Friday. When asked about deals ahead, the Roma head coach said: "Not even [Sadar] Azmoun is one of our players yet, I also find it hard to talk about him. He is in Rome, I don't know if he has finished his visits