Chelsea have no plans to bring Romelu Lukaku back to the club.
The Belgian striker, who was their record signing when he re-joined the club in the summer of 2020 for £97 million was allowed to move back to former side Inter Milan on loan in the last transfer window.
Now it emerges that they will allows him to remain on loan for another year and effectively release him as s free transfer after that, recognising that their investment in him has turned out to be an expensive flop.
His contract at Stamford Bridge extends until 2026, so this is by no means a cheap option for them.
However, it is a recognition that what seemed a good idea at the time just did not work, and that he was a bad fit for the culture and style of play that the team like to play, and changing Thomas Tuchel for Graham Potter does not alter that equation.
Andy is an exiled English football fan living in Cyprus. He loves all sports but football is his abiding passion, and he still has dreams every now and then about scoring the winning goal in a Wembley Cup Final, even though his playing days are long gone. He follows most major leagues, across Europe at least, and has a favoured team in each. When he’s not watching, listening, reading or downloading podcasts about football, he spend his time worrying about his beloved Arsenal.