I never really ran big with the information on our striker pursuit that I was given a week or two ago.
Largely because of the cesspit that is Twitter. I can’t be bothered with the drama and anger of reporting something that people do not like to read/hear.
But as much as I have been positive on our pursuit of Erling Haaland, the news I was given recently contrasts my positivity, and that is what happens in the transfer window, situations swing like a pendulum.
You’ve probably seen by now all the noise by now, with The Athletic have reporting on Monday morning that Chelsea have made two offers for Romelu Lukaku, suggesting that he has now become the priority target for the striker role.
As I have alluded to on Twitter, and I also wrote about in my newsletter last week, here, I was told that Lukaku is actually more likely than Haaland as things stand, and the reports of two offers coming out backs that up.
I was pretty much told to forget about Haaland, and that he and Dortmund have made the decision to stay in Germany this summer, and the club will not be accepting any offers.
However, there is no way you can rule it out entirely right now, because as everyone keeps saying, if a crazy bid comes in from Chelsea, believed to be north of £150m, then I still believe Dortmund might accept it.
But have Chelsea now decided to drop this pursuit altogether and concentrate on Lukaku? The noise would suggest that could be the case.
However, the pendulum can still swing in either direction, and Jan Aage Fjortoft, who is friends with Haaland’s Dad, believes that this week is the deadline that Chelsea can make an offer for Haaland, and he feels they WILL make an offer, so the hope is still alive there.
So, it looks like Chelsea are stepping up their interest in Lukaku, due to the fact Haaland may not seem so gettable now.
But then how gettable is Lukaku? Inter seem adamant they want to keep him, he seems adamant he wants to stay, but perhaps a third offer from Chelsea could just prove too good to reject.
We will soon find out I’d imagine.
*Additional report - Matt Law of The Telegraph has also reported later on Monday that Romelu Lukaku is now more likely to join Chelsea this summer than Erling Haaland, and La Repubblica, who are a reliable Italian outlet, are saying that Lukaku is now ‘thinking twice’ about staying at Inter this summer in the face of a new Chelsea ‘assault’.
*Further report - Fabrizio Romano and Gianluca Di Marzio have offered the Italian side of things and have confirmed an £85m offer from Chelsea for Lukaku that included Marcos Alonso has been turned down. They claim Inter still see the striker as ‘untouchable’. Personally, I’m not so sure he is….
Simon Phillips
Cheers Si. UTC
Haaland is better for the future of course but right now I believe Lukaku is the better striker and also he is proven in the PL