What does Chelsea intend to do with Lukaku next year? He'll be 30 with 3 years remaining on his 350k a week. He's hated by everyone but they can't get rid of him due to his wages. Kind of like Ronaldo situation on steroids.
Reportedly there's already an agreement in place between the clubs to extend the loan for another year under the same terms. It was said the rules in Italy forbid a straight two year loan so it will have to be one year first and another year after that in a separate deal. No idea whether the 'second loan' is already fully signed in advance or if Inter can still back out or at least renegotiate if Lukaku is shite for them.
The loan gave us a £7M loan fee and another £3.5M in bonuses if he does well or if Inter manage to win something, the exact criteria for the bonus was not published. They also take care of his full salary so on the books we're only taking a £10-13M hit in the amortisation costs this year, as compared to last year when Lukaku's cost on the club's books was £20M in amortisation and £17M in wages so overall around £37M. That means we're saving anywhere between £24-27M this year with him out on loan and if the loan is extended for another year then the same amount saved next year as well. After that he'll only have two years left on his deal and who knows what will happen, either by then he can be sold for a moderate fee on a permanent deal or he'll return to stink up the place again and be our problem.
Either way I'm glad we don't need to watch him play for us this season, and hopefully ever again.
Chelsea wanted Kounde, Raphinha, Dembele and Lewandowski but they all ended up at Barça, who also signed Alonso and Christensen for nothing. And to make the finances work they sold Aubameyang...to Chelsea. Mateu Alemany's remarkable summer had a big assist from Todd Boehly.
I honestly believe Tuchel actually prefers Fofana over Kounde. If he was so keen on Kounde the deal would've been done last year already, or at the very least early this summer when Barca still hadn't activated their 'levers' and weren't even in for him.
Lewandowski was always a pipe dream that was never going to happen. Him going to Barca allowed us to get Aubameyang who Tuchel likes too. Obviously not as good as Lewandowksi but a decent alternative.
Raphinha is the only one I think the club and Tuchel have regrets missing out on.
You're more than free to have Christensen and Alonso, they're both shite.