Rejected Chelsea forward likely to be dumped by Inter Milan

Lukaku double at Empoli ends Inter’s winless run last weekend

By Ed Emeanua

Romelu Lukaku’s once vibrant football career is in serious danger as both Chelsea and Inter Milan dillydally over the Belgian forward’s likely destination next season.

Mauricio Pochettino is the prime target for the Chelsea job, but his coming could portend very bad news for Romelu Lukaku’s center forward position at Stamford Bridge. The Argentinian tactitician is being rumored to likely prefer Armando Broja, 21, who missed out on the second half of the season to a knee problem, in the central position role. Broja had enough time to put on show the type of physicality that Chelsea lacks up front before his injury.

Meanwhile, Lukaku has again made it crystal clear to Chelsea that he wants to stay put at Inter Milan in extension of his current loan spell in Italy, Metro News UK reports.

However, Inter have equally shown that they have no intentions to hand the forward a permanent transfer to Italy, with Inter Milan’s CEO, Giuseppe Marotta, alleging last month that the forward is ‘not at his best or the player we got to see in years gone by’.

The 29-year-old forward was handed to Inter on loan last summer following his inability to make an impression at Stamford Bridge in his first season at Chelsea after his £97.5 million transfer to West London in 2021.

However, Lukaku has been limited by injury in Italy this season and has only started 13 Serie A matches so far.

However, the player maintains his intention to stay at Inter once his loan spell ends at the end of the season. ‘’I have an excellent relationship with the fans and I’ve always tried to give everything for Inter because it gave me the opportunity to win two years ago,’’ Lukaku said after scoring twice in Inter’s 3-0 win against Empoli on Sunday.

‘This club has allowed me to become who I am today.’’ When asked whether he intends to remain at Inter, Lukaku said: ‘‘Yes, but guys you have to pay attention to those things because the others [talk]. My goal is to give my best for Inter.’’

Broja’s speed was also well demonstrated and appreciated. Though the Albanian forward managed to score only once in 294 minutes of football he brings quite a new dimension to the attacking options at Stamford Bridge with his head-on style of play.

Broja has just 17 senior league goals to his name at this stage of his career however, Harry Kane also tallied only 17 goals to his name before his first full season in the Premier League.

Another advantage for Broja is that Kane, who went on to score volumes of goals for Tottenham so flourished under Pochettino’s tutelage at White Hart’s Lane Pochettino, and when it comes to handing out tryouts to young players in a new environments, no coach does it better than the former Paris Saint Germain boss.

In the absence of a traditional No. 9 for most of the season largely out of distrust for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang central position abilities, it could be reasonable to hint that Broja will be given an huge chance to make a claim for the Chelsea striker’s role and by all considerations, Pochettino is the right coach to do just that.

Fired up Napoli nails Juventus in injury time at the Allianz Stadium

Image credit: Getty Images

Substitutes

Referees

By Ed Emeanua

Fresh from the partial reinstatement of 15 points deduction by the Italian FA following their appeal, Juventus hoped to catchup on runaway Serie A leaders, SSC Napoli at their Allianz Stadium on Sunday as the visitors pushed to increase their hold on winning a title that has eluded The Parthenopeans for decades.

Both sides held tight in midfield as neither wanted to yield ground nor be guilty for conceding the first goal. Napoli’s dangerman, Victor Osimhen in particular enjoyed the tightest of attention of all with at least two Fidanzata d’Italia (The Girlfriend of Italy) players provided enough shadow to keep him in check at all times.

Yet, it was Napoli that won the first corner kick in the fifth minute. Though nothing came out of it, Gli Azzurri (The Blues) also enjoyed most of the possession in the first half, with the home side often relying mostly on counter attacks hoping to catch the league leaders off guard.

The first half soon drew to a close with no side taking the lead. The second half started just like the first with Napoli again seizing the initiative. On 55′, Osimhen won the ball off Juventus midfielder Manuel Locatelli, locating his partner Khvicha Kvaratskhelia who was lurking at the edge of the box, but the Georgian’s shot flew over the bar.

Napoli continued to foray on in pack. On 71′, the Napoli striker managed to wriggle into space in the box and but his shot took a deflection and clipped the outside of the post. From the resulting corner, Osimhen rose brilliantly to meet to meet the ball but heads straight at Szczesny who in turn cuddles the ball gingerly like a newborn baby. Napoli are now roaring on.

Three minutes later, Giovanni Di Lorenzo whipped a superb pass around the corner and into the Osimhen’s path allowing the Napoli striker to take a first time shot, but his effort sailed over the bar.

When you spurn your chances in football, it will often come back to  bite you. In a swift counter in the 82nd minute, Angel Di Maria went scampering after a through ball and dribbles into the box before slotting a finish past Meret. VAR however ruled that Arkadiusz Milik on Stanislav Lobotka in the build-up.

The game became a ding dong affair as both sides tried to win it. Then, the dramatic end. Elif Elmas clipped the ball to the back post and Giacomo Raspadori was there alone with all the time and space to fire a volley under Szczesny and into the net to win it for Napoli.

Serie A Results 24/04