Chelsea have reportedly reached a decision over a new asking price for Romelu Lukaku.
When the Blues acquired the services of the forward for £97.5m in 2021, the hope was that he would lead the forward line for years to come.
Instead, Lukaku failed to settle under Thomas Tuchel and has since been loaned back to Inter Milan and fellow Italian side Roma, a consequence of being unable to attract suitable permanent offers.
The West Londoners have still been able to benefit from receiving a substantial loan fee each time, as well as the bulk or entirety of Lukaku's wages being paid in full by Inter and Roma.
Nevertheless, there is a desire to cash in on the 31-year-old as soon as possible, preferably before June 30 given the need to meet the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules.
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What valuation has been given to Lukaku?
Last summer, it was widely reported that Chelsea were willing to do business for a fee in the region of £38m in order to part ways with the Belgium international.
According to Football Insider, co-owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital have reached the decision where they would accept an offer of £35m.
Despite Lukaku's age, there is an argument that he has delivered value for money at Inter and Roma across the past two seasons.
Lukaku contributed 14 goals and seven assists during his one season back at Inter, while 20 strikes and four assists have been delivered in 46 appearances for Roma.
On the flip side, such is the financial situation at many clubs across Europe that they may not be able to justify meeting Chelsea's demands for a player over 30.
That said, Chelsea may argue that Harry Kane signed for Bayern Munich for more than double their asking price for Lukaku when just a year younger.
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Would Chelsea be open to a compromise?
The report suggests, as per financial expert Kieran Maguire, that Chelsea could make an accounting profit should they attract bids of more than £30m.
Realistically speaking, only clubs from Saudi Arabia may be prepared to pay such a fee, with there being no other obvious option for Lukaku unless Napoli sell Victor Osimhen and choose to replace the Nigerian with Lukaku.
All being said, though, Chelsea will not want to entertain a drawn-out bidding war for Lukaku given their need to avoid the player's wages returning to their expenses.
Lukaku still has two years left on his contract, something that could feasibly prove to be both a positive and negative factor in this scenario.
Darren Plant
