Chelsea make decision over Romelu Lukaku’s future as summer exodus plan revealed

Chelsea have made a decision over Romelu Lukaku’s future as a summer exodus has been planned for Graham Potter’s squad, according to reports.

Lukaku has struggled on his return to the San Siro after pleading for a move back to Inter in the summer transfer window.

Despite being granted his wish, Lukaku has only featured 11 times for Inter this season during the loan spell, netting twice and registering one assist.

His season has been hampered by injuries, missing 18 games through a combination of different injuries, most recently suffering with knee inflammation.

With his Chelsea replacement Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s future thrown into doubt after being excluded from the Champions League squad amid loan links to LAFC, Lukaku may have thought that he could return to his parent club at the end of the season.

The Belgian’s relationship with former boss Thomas Tuchel broke down before the German was replaced by Potter, and a pathway for a return may have been uncovered.

However, the latest reports have revealed that this is not the case as Chelsea plan a mass squad exodus in the summer.

As reported by ESPN, the Blues will cut their losses on their former club-record signing.

Lukaku is not the only one heading for the exit door though, with the report continuing to stated that Mateo Kovacic, Kalidou Koulibaly and Callum Hudson-Odoi (also on loan this season) could become available.

Kovacic’s current deal expires in 2024, with Chelsea potentially looking to cash in on the Croatian as they rebuild their midfield following the signing of Enzo Fernandez.

Koulibaly, a signing made under Tuchel, has struggled to adapt to the Premier League, leading to January signing Benoit Badiashile replacing him alongside Thiago Silva in Potter’s defence.

Hudson-Odoi opted to join Bayer Leverkusen on loan in the summer in the search of more game time but has failed to impress in the Bundesliga, putting his Chelsea future into doubt.

Furthermore, ESPN state that N’Golo Kante and Mason Mount also face uncertainty as the club attempt to get the pair to sign new contracts.

Kante’s deal expires at the end of the season while Mount runs until 2024, like Kovacic, but there is yet to be an agreement for either player to extend their contracts.

Therefore, Chelsea could be set for an exodus of players in the summer window while the likes of Aubameyang and Ziyech also look set for a Stamford Bridge exit in the next window.