Didier Drogba urges Romelu Lukaku to call him as Chelsea exit plan emerges
Chelsea legend Didier Drogba has asked Blues flop Romelu Lukaku to reach out and call him amid speculation the Belgium international could be heading to Saudi Arabia.
Lukaku has severely underwhelmed during his second spell at Stamford Bridge, with the striker failing to justify the club-record £98million fee Chelsea paid Inter Milan for him back in 2021. The 30-year-old actually spent last term back at the San Siro with Inter on loan and is widely believed to want to stay there on a permanent basis.
However, the Serie A titans are in a difficult financial position and are unlikely to meet Chelsea's asking price for Lukaku. As a result, the rumour mill has gone into overdrive with suggestions of where he may actually end up next season.
A number of clubs in the Saudi Pro League are thought to be keeping tabs on the situation and Lukaku himself is thought to be open to the idea of making the move to the Middle East, but it is not his first choice.
Drogba however, seems keen on the idea of Lukaku staying put in west London. The current Chelsea forward is on holiday and has taken to Instagram to upload a picture documenting his time off. Underneath that same image, Blues legend Drogba wrote: "Hey boy, Romelu Lukaku please call me!"
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The two have always enjoyed a close relationship and Lukaku has gone on the record in admitting he idolised Drogba during his first spell at Stamford Bridge.
HAVE YOUR SAY! Where will Lukaku play his club football next season? Comment below
Romelu Lukaku could still stay at Chelsea next season despite a desire to join Inter Milan permanently (Getty Images)Thankfully for the Chelsea icon, Lukaku may still have a route back into the first-team fold under new Blues boss Mauricio Pochettino, who has already been grilled on his plans for the wantaway striker.
The Argentine seemed to hint that there remains a future for Lukaku at Chelsea providing he gets his head down and works for his place back at the Blues Cobham training base this pre-season.
"I think the personal situations all the parties know what we think," Pochettino explained. "In that case, he needs to come back on the 12th or 13th [July] to be part of the squad and start pre-season.
"When the player arrives the first thing they are doing is to come to my office to see me and say hello. That is what I expect if he is still a Chelsea player."
Last season, Chelsea struggled without a true goalscorer playing regularly. With Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang failing to get a look in, the Blues desperately needed a recognised striker of Lukaku's calibre.
However, with Nicolas Jackson arriving earlier on this summer for a £32m fee from Villarreal, the need for Lukaku is no longer as great.
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