A big summer of transfer activity lies ahead at Stamford Bridge.
After successfully guiding the club to their first trophy of his stewardship on Saturday evening – beating Manchester City 1-0 in the UEFA Champions League final.
Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel has grand ambitions to take Chelsea to the next level, starting as soon as next season.
Having arrived at the club towards the end of January, Tuchel did not have the time or resources to put his own stamp of authority on the squad he had inherited from his predecessor, Frank Lampard.
But with the German poised to sign a new long-term deal at Stamford Bridge, as well as taking into account the success he has enjoyed at the club in such a short space of time already.
It is only natural that he would wish to bring in his own players and strengthen what is already a very talented squad.
Earlier this week it was reported that Tuchel would like to bring in three new signings this summer, with a right-sided defender, a central-midfielder and a striker being prioritised, especially the latter, with scoring goals on a regular basis having been a problem this season for the club’s goal-getters.
In recent weeks and months, the club has been linked with an array of big-name strikers, including Tottenham Hotspur and England star Harry Kane and Erling Haaland of Borussia Dortmund.
However, the option that may seem more suitable is Inter Milan ace Romelu Lukaku.
The Belgian has been closely linked with a return to Stamford Bridge in recent weeks, despite having struggled for opportunities to impress in his first spell at the club between 2012 and 2014.
However, despite reports in Italy yesterday claiming that Inter would not entertain any offers for the striker this summer, Chelsea have made their move.
That is according a report by Eurosport, as cited by the Daily Star.
They say that Chelsea have made contact with Lukaku’s agent and are in discussions about what type of offer could convince the Belgium international to seal a shock return to west London.
Lukaku, who notched 24 goals in Serie A this season, is considered as Inter’s star asset, meaning it would take a big-money bid to allow him to leave, even though their stance on his future is clear: he is not for sale.
But that stance, as often proven in football, can quickly be changed if a suitable offer is made.
The likelihood is that Lukaku would cost somewhere in the region of £60million to £80million, which is considerably cheaper than what Kane or Haaland would cost.
Haaland would almost certainly cost around £150million whilst it is highly unlikely that Spurs would even entertain the idea of selling Kane to a local rival.
With that said, Lukaku does seem the most approachable option, with the Blues already reportedly in talks with his representatives ahead of trying to convince Inter to sell him.
As well as that, Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is said to be a big fan of the former Everton and Manchester United man and would like to see him return to Stamford Bridge.