CHELSEA are focused on settling a deal with Inter Milan over Romelu Lukaku this summer.
And the Italian giants are confident that it will get sorted according to reports.
Meanwhile, SunSport can reveal that captain Cesar Azpilicueta is under pressure to hand in a transfer request if he wants to secure his dream Barcelona move.
Plus, there is even more bad news for the Blues as they are set to miss out on Robert Lewandowski who only has his heart set on a move to the Nou Camp.
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Hoop for better luck
England stars Tammy Abraham, Jadon Sancho and Mason Mount let their hair down by enjoying some basketball during their US holiday.
The Three Lions players have jetted off to America following a disappointing set of Nations League fixtures.
But it didn’t take them long to return to some form of sport as they headed out onto the court for some basketball.
Tammy Abraham, Jadon Sancho and Mason Mount have fun on basketball court as England stars enjoy US holidayRoma striker Tammy Abraham shared the video on his Instagram as the England boys appeared to be loving life in the US.
Abraham’s clip showed former Chelsea teammates Mount, Trevoh Chalobah and Fikayo Tomori.
And Man Utd man Sancho was also present as he continues his American vacation.
The ex-Borussia Dortmund forward could be seen celebrating scoring just seconds after Mount’s effort bounced off the rim.
The basketball video comes days after Sancho uploaded a clip of himself working up a sweat in the US while out on a run.
The 22-year-old is keen to prove himself to both new Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag and England manager Gareth Southgate.
Southgate, who watched his side fail to win any of their four Nations League matches in June, recently stated that Sancho and Marcus Rashford have “a lot to do” if they want to make his World Cup squad.
Time to Cesar the moment
Blues’ wing-back Cesar Azpilicueta is under pressure to slap in a transfer request — or risk his dream move to Barcelona.
The Chelsea captain wants to return home to Spain this summer.
But Nou Camp giants Barca are growing frustrated with the lack of progress over the defender’s bid to talk his way out of the final year of his contract at Stamford Bridge.
Boss Thomas Tuchel said the pair will sit down and discuss his future but Barcelona want the deal done quickly.
Barcelona boss Xavi is keen to have the veteran right-back available for pre-season training next month.
The Spanish side have threatened to find ‘other solutions’ to the gap being left by the departure of club legend Dani Alves, who has confirmed he is leaving for a second time.
Azpilicueta is due to hold talks with Tuchel in the coming days to seek an amicable separation agreement.
Fabregas released by Monaco
Cesc Fabregas has been shown the door by Monaco after an injury-plagued stay on the French Riviera.
The former Arsenal and Chelsea star joined the Ligue 1 club amid high expectations in January 2019.
But Spain midfielder Fabregas has since made just 67 appearances for them – including a mere FIVE last season.
Monaco have now opted not to offer the 35-year-old a new contract.
Chelsea and United tracking Jones
Several Premier League clubs including Chelsea and Manchester United are tracking the progress of Middlesbrough ace Isaiah Jones, report 90 Min.
The 22-year-old earned rave reviews in the Championship last season after being converted from a winger to right wing-back under Chris Wilder.
Indeed, his impressive performances were the main reason why Boro’s decision to allow Djed Spence to leave on loan was not widely slammed.
However, Jones appears content to remain with the Teessiders for now despite the lure of the top flight.
He told Ur Fresh TV: “It’s always nice to hear praise, but when people say to me, ‘you should be in the Premier League’ and ‘you should leave Middlesbrough’, I’m like, ‘No, I really enjoy it here’. I’m improving here every day.”
Tottenham have also been linked with a move for the London-born star.
Lukaku talks in style
Inter Milan’s president arrived for talks with Chelsea about Romelu Lukaku’s exit in style.
Inter and Chelsea still need to agree terms in order for Lukaku to return to Italy.
And Inter’s president Steven Zhang pulled up for crunch talks in a customised Ferrari.
Zhang’s sports car has been painted in Inter’s blue and black kit colours.
Lukaku is the “worst transfer in history”, says fan
Fans once praised Chelsea’s decision to trim the fat and sign a superstar.
But now many supporters are calling the move the “worst transfer in history”.
On Chelsea’s decision to sell nine players to finance the Lukaku deal, one fan at the time wrote: “Chelsea’s sales this summer… Marina (Granovskaia) has done it again.”
But the tweet has quickly bitten them on the backside, with football fans slating the Blues for their truly awful decision.
One wrote: “Chelsea paid £97m for a year of Romelu Lukaku. Comfortably the worst transfer in the history of football.”
Another pointed out: “We sold Guehi, Tomori, Livramento and Abraham all to fund Lukaku. This summer we are in the market for 2 CBs, a RWB and a Striker…”
A third moaned: “We sold 100m worth of academy talent to fund Lukaku for him to leave after a year for a 95m loss. Inter have made an absolutely mockery of us.”
What did Chelsea give up for Lukaku?
Tammy Abraham, Fikayo Tomori and Marc Guehi led the exodus, writes Dave Fraser.
Abraham was among the top scorers in Serie A last season and helped Roma win the Europa Conference League.
Tomori helped AC Milan win their first Serie A title in 11 years.
Guehi joined Crystal Palace and thrived – with all three now part of the England squad ahead of the 2022 World Cup – while Livramento has gone on to become one of the hottest young prospects in the Premier League.
How Chelsea could use them all now, with Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen quitting and Cesar Azpilicueta, Marcos Alonso and Lukaku looking to move on.
In all, the Blues bagged £98m for their nine “fringe” players and spent £97.5m on Lukaku, who quickly repaid them by revealing his desire to head back to the San Siro just two months later.
This summer, Chelsea are desperately seeking squad reinforcements all over the pitch, including up front with Lukaku on the brink of returning to Inter Milan on an initial loan deal.
Chelsea moved heaven and earth for Lukaku
Romelu Lukaku was supposed to be the missing piece, the man who would see Chelsea leapfrog Manchester City and Liverpool to win the Premier League.
The Belgian, 29, had just helped Inter Milan end Juventus’ decade of dominance to win the Serie A title in emphatic manner.
The Blues were clearly missing a centre-forward – and they thought they’d found the perfect solution in their former youth team man, Lukaku.
Chelsea moved heaven and earth to land the ex-Manchester United striker.
In fact, the club’s transfer team sold NINE stars and rising talents to finance a deal for Lukaku.
Tammy Abraham, Fikayo Tomori and Marc Guehi led the exodus.
But they were joined by Olivier Giroud, Victor Moses, Tino Livramento, Ike Ugbo, Lewis Bate and Dynel Simeu in quitting Stamford Bridge.
Jake Clarke-Salter joins QPR
Chelsea defender Jake Clarke-Salter has left to join QPR – after making just two appearances in 14 years.
The 24-year-old has made the switch to the Blues’ London rivals on a four-year contract after years of loan moves from Stamford Bridge.
Sun Sport revealed earlier this week that QPR were in pole position to claim the signature of the free agent after he left Chelsea.
He is now the first signing of new manager Michael Beale, the former Aston Villa assistant who has replaced Mark Warburton.
Clarke-Salter was a highly-rated Chelsea academy product and will now be hoping to re-launch his career after failing to break through at Cobham.
Chelsea star seeks exit
Emerson Palmieri is reportedly seeking a transfer away from Chelsea this summer.
Emerson will return to Chelsea after a loan stint with Lyon.
But the Italy international has no plans to stay put with Lazio interested in signing him, according to Corriere dello Sport.
Inter ‘offer Chelsea players’
Inter Milan have been offering players to Chelsea to exchange for Romelu Lukaku.
But the Blues have only got eyes on Lautoro Martinez, who is unlikely to be made available by Inter, according to Daily Star journalist Paul Brown.
He told Give Me Sport: “Inter have definitely been offering players to Chelsea to try and smooth this out and bring down any money they have to pay for him, but my understanding is that Chelsea are not terribly keen on anyone at Inter.
“I think they would have an interest in Lautaro Martinez, but he’s someone who just doesn’t seem to be available in this window at the moment, so I think some kind of part exchange or swap is probably unlikely unless that changes.”
Azpilicueta faces transfer pressure
Cesar Azpilicueta is under pressure to slap in a transfer request — or risk his dream move to Barcelona.
The Chelsea captain wants to leave this summer and return home to Spain.
But Nou Camp giants Barca are growing frustrated with the lack of progress over the defender’s bid to talk his way out of the final year of his contract at Stamford Bridge.
Boss Thomas Tuchel said the pair will sit down and discuss his future but Barcelona want the deal done quickly.
Barcelona boss Xavi is keen to have the veteran right-back available for pre-season training next month.
The Spanish side have threatened to find ‘other solutions’ to the gap being left by the departure of club legend Dani Alves, who has confirmed he is leaving for a second time.
Azpilicueta is due to hold talks with Tuchel in the coming days to seek an amicable separation agreement.
Barca to hijack Kounde deal
Barcelona’s improving financial situation looks set to leave Manchester United’s transfer dealings in disarray – and the same could soon be said of Chelsea.
And that’s because the LaLiga giants have emerged as favourites to land Sevilla Jules Kounde, according to reports in Spain.
The French centre-back has long been courted by the Blues, but they were held back in their attempts to complete the signing while under government sanctions.
Rather than matching Chelsea’s €80m bid, Barca are preparing a €60m offer plus an unnamed player in exchange.
It is thought that Kounde’s preference would be a move to Catalonia.
Blues ‘real’ City target is Sterling
Chelsea are set to miss out on Gabriel Jesus, but reports suggest it’s another Manchester City player that is truly in their sights.
The Blues dipped their toe into negotiations when it became apparent that Arsenal were in advanced talks over the signing of Jesus.
However, Sky Sports understand that ‘the City player Thomas Tuchel is keener on is Raheem Sterling.’
The 27-year-old England international has a year remaining on his current deal at the Eithad Stadium, and has been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge.
Lukaku talks in style
Inter Milan’s president arrived for talks with Chelsea about Romelu Lukaku’s exit in style.
Inter and Chelsea still need to agree terms in order for Lukaku to return to Italy.
And Inter’s president Steven Zhang pulled up for crunch talks in a customised Ferrari.
Zhang’s sports car has been painted in Inter’s blue and black kit colours.
Lewandowski ‘rejects Chelsea’ transfer
Chelsea’s hopes of signing Robert Lewandowski have reportedly been shot down by the Bayern Munich striker.
That’s according to Sport who claim Lewandowski turned down advances from both the Blues and PSG.
That’s because the Polish ace has his heart set on a move to Barca, the report adds.
Inter ‘confident’ about getting Lukaku on loan
Inter Milan are confident about agreeing a loan deal with Chelsea to sign Romelu Lukaku, according to reports.
Lukaku, 29, is available on loan but Chelsea are seeking a £20million fee to let him leave for the season.
That price tag is believed to be too steep for Inter but the Serie A side are hopeful of reaching a deal.
And according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano the two clubs are set to hold talks today about a move.
He tweeted: “Inter and Chelsea have scheduled a new direct contact in the coming hours for Romelu Lukaku. Inter are feeling confident, now waiting for Chelsea’s final price tag.”
New Chelsea owner Todd Boehly is reportedly open to discussing a loan move for Lukaku with Inter.
Good morning Chelsea fans
Chelsea’s hopes of signing Robert Lewandowski have reportedly been shot down by the Bayern Munich striker.
That’s according to Sport who claim Lewandowski turned down advances from both the Blues and PSG.
That’s because the Polish ace has his heart set on a move to Barca, the report adds.
But, it’s been claimed Lewandoswki won’t join Chelsea because he fears he won’t be successful in the Prem like he’s been in Germany.
That’s according to his former agent Cezary Kucharski.
He told Sport 1: “I always heard Robert give a childish explanation that it rains so much in England.
“But I think the real reason was that he didn’t think he could be as efficient as in Germany. Robert was really afraid of that.”
Meanwhile, Ex-Chelsea ace Jake Clarke-Salter has joined QPR on a free transfer.
Clarke-Salter told QPR’s media after finalising his switch: ““I am over the moon.
It’s a permanent deal and it’s time for me to settle down and progress in my career.
“It’s totally different to a loan move because this is my home and I am fully focused on doing great things with this club.
“This is a big step for me and one I am totally ready for.”
In other news, Emerson Palmieri is reportedly seeking a transfer away from Chelsea this summer.
Emerson will return to Chelsea after a loan stint with Lyon.
But the Italy international has no plans to stay put with Lazio interested in signing him, according to Corriere dello Sport.
Finally, The end of Romelu Lukaku’s Chelsea nightmare is edging closer according to reports in Italy.
The Belgian striker is on the verge of a return to former club Inter Milan with journalist Matteo Moretto describing the transfer as ‘imminent’.
Lukaku is expected to agree an initial loan deal with the Nerazzurri, a year on from leaving them to join the Blues for £97.5m.
Azpilicueta faces transfer pressure
Cesar Azpilicueta is under pressure to slap in a transfer request — or risk his dream move to Barcelona.
The Chelsea captain wants to leave this summer and return home to Spain.
But Nou Camp giants Barca are growing frustrated with the lack of progress over the defender’s bid to talk his way out of the final year of his contract at Stamford Bridge.
Boss Thomas Tuchel said the pair will sit down and discuss his future but Barcelona want the deal done quickly.
Barcelona boss Xavi is keen to have the veteran right-back available for pre-season training next month.
The Spanish side have threatened to find ‘other solutions’ to the gap being left by the departure of club legend Dani Alves, who has confirmed he is leaving for a second time.
Azpilicueta is due to hold talks with Tuchel in the coming days to seek an amicable separation agreement.
Inter ‘offer Chelsea players’
Inter Milan have been offering players to Chelsea to exchange for Romelu Lukaku.
But the Blues have only got eyes on Lautoro Martinez, who is unlikely to be made available by Inter, according to Daily Star journalist Paul Brown.
He told Give Me Sport: “Inter have definitely been offering players to Chelsea to try and smooth this out and bring down any money they have to pay for him, but my understanding is that Chelsea are not terribly keen on anyone at Inter.
“I think they would have an interest in Lautaro Martinez, but he’s someone who just doesn’t seem to be available in this window at the moment, so I think some kind of part exchange or swap is probably unlikely unless that changes.”
Chelsea star seeks exit
Emerson Palmieri is reportedly seeking a transfer away from Chelsea this summer.
Emerson will return to Chelsea after a loan stint with Lyon.
But the Italy international has no plans to stay put with Lazio interested in signing him, according to Corriere dello Sport.
Lukaku is ‘lacking confidence’
Romelu Lukaku has lost his confidence in front of goal for Chelsea this season.
That’s the opinion of Jamie O’Hara who told talkSPORT: “His performances weren’t really good enough. It looks like he’s lost his confidence.
“I think Lukaku is one of those players who needs to have an arm around him by the manager to really give him that belief. Thomas Tuchel didn’t give him that.
“It’s been an absolute disaster of a signing. I thought he was going to be the final piece in the jigsaw.”
Ex-Chelsea star joins QPR
Ex-Chelsea ace Jake Clarke-Salter has joined QPR on a free transfer.
Clarke-Salter told QPR’s media after finalising his switch: ““I am over the moon.
It’s a permanent deal and it’s time for me to settle down and progress in my career.
“It’s totally different to a loan move because this is my home and I am fully focused on doing great things with this club.
“This is a big step for me and one I am totally ready for.”
Lewandowski ‘fears Premier League’
Robert Lewandoswki won’t join Chelsea because he fears he won’t be successful in the Prem as he was in Germany.
That’s according to his former agent Cezary Kucharski.
He told Sport 1: “I always heard Robert give a childish explanation that it rains so much in England.
“But I think the real reason was that he didn’t think he could be as efficient as in Germany. Robert was really afraid of that.”
Lukaku talks in style
Inter Milan’s president arrived for talks with Chelsea about Romelu Lukaku’s exit in style.
Inter and Chelsea still need to agree terms in order for Lukaku to return to Italy.
And Inter’s president Steven Zhang pulled up for crunch talks in a customised Ferrari.
Zhang’s sports car has been painted in Inter’s blue and black kit colours.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
