Romelu Lukaku’s future still remains up in the air
Jose Mourinho has offered his advice to Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino on how to deal with want away striker Romelu Lukaku.
Lukaku is reportedly not on speaking terms with Pochettino as the Belgian international looks to secure a move away from Stamford Bridge this summer.
Despite plans to get rid of the forward selling Lukaku has proved to be difficult since Chelsea want to recoup as much of the £97m fee they paid for him, as well as other clubs convincing him to lower his wage demands.
There was hope that Inter Milan would turn Lukaku’s loan move into a permanent one however the Italian giants chose to opt for Marcus Thuram and Marko Arnautovic instead.
Roma have been linked with making a move for Lukaku, who endured a frosty relationship with Mourinho during their time together at Manchester United.
During an interview with The Times last year, Mourinho admitted that Lukaku is the sort of player who “needs to be loved” – advice that Pochettino could take on board if the forward ends up staying beyond the transfer window.
He said: “[In his first spell] at Chelsea, he was still a kid. At Manchester United, he was still developing. At Inter he became the top man.
“He became loved – a big love from the supporters, love from teammates, great relations with the coach. He’s a big guy, physically so strong, but there is also a kid inside who needs that love, needs that support, needs to feel important.”
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