Didier Drogba has sent a message to Romelu Lukaku after Mauricio Pochettino offered the Chelsea striker a lifeline in his first press conference as Blues manager.
Lukaku returned to Chelsea in a £97.5m move from Inter in the summer of 2021 but returned to the Serie A giants on loan last term after a disappointing year at Stamford Bridge.
The Nerazzuri have reportedly made an offer to buy the Belgium international but that bid has fallen short of Chelsea’s £40m price tag according to The Guardian, who also claim Juventus and Al-Hilal have made contact with the Blues over a potential deal.
Asked about Lukaku’s future at Stamford Bridge having been officially unveiled as Chelsea’s new manager, Pochettino said he expects the 30-year-old to arrive at pre-season training and come to see him in his office, as is the case with all players still under contract.
Pochettino said: “I think the personal situations all the parties know what we think. 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.”
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano says the priority for both Chelsea and Lukaku is to part ways this summer.
“I’ve had plenty of fans asking for an update on this, and if there’s any chance Mauricio Pochettino could give Romelu Lukaku another chance at Chelsea,” Romano said.
“I’m not in Pochettino’s head so I can’t predict what’s going to happen, you never know in football. But the situation right now and as of today is that Chelsea are trying to sell Lukaku, while Lukaku wants to find another club.
“So they both want to part ways and move on, 100% guaranteed. This is the priority of both parties.”
But former Chelsea teammate and idol of Lukaku, Didier Drogba, sent a message to the striker on Instagram in the wake of Pochettino’s press conference and rumours over his future.
Lukaku is currently on holiday and posted an update on Instagram yesterday under which Drogba wrote ‘Hey boy, Romelu Lukaku please call me!’
READ MORE: Transfer gossip: Arsenal hijack Man Utd striker move; Pochettino to ‘call’ Dele Alli
