Chelsea's forward Romelu Lukaku will not be accompanying the team on their pre-season tour in the United States, according to information from talkSPORT.
Lukaku concludes the summer following his season-long loan spell at Inter Milan from Chelsea. All indications seemed to suggest a permanent return to the Champions League finalists for the upcoming season.
However, Inter withdrew from the race after discovering that Lukaku's representatives had held clandestine discussions with Juventus.
Now, Juventus is the leading contender to secure the signing of Lukaku, who is eager to depart from Chelsea this summer.
His future is uncertain after declining a move to Saudi Arabia, and Juventus needs to sell Dusan Vlahovic to fund the transfer.
While Chelsea commences their pre-season tour in the USA on Monday, Lukaku will not be joining them. It appears likely that he will leave the club just two years after rejoining, as his relationship with the fans deteriorated following an unauthorized interview with Sky Italia.
The Belgian international expressed his desire to return to Inter after only four months back at Stamford Bridge. However, it now seems that Lukaku could be heading to Juventus' Allianz Stadium instead.
During their time in the United States, Chelsea, without Lukaku, will participate in five friendly matches. Their first opponents will be Wrexham, inspired by Hollywood, followed by matches against Brighton, Newcastle, and Fulham in the Premier League Summer Series. They will conclude their tour with a final test against Borussia Dortmund.
With the acquisitions of Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson, Chelsea possesses sufficient attacking options in the event of Lukaku's departure. Additionally, Armando Broja has returned from a long-term injury as the Blues aim for a significant improvement compared to last season.
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