LUK BACK IN ANGER
‘Not in my name’ – Romelu Lukaku blasts his OWN agent amid Chelsea transfer talk claims over his future
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ROMELU LUKAKU appeared to slam his own agent who claimed he will sit down for talks over his client's future with the new Chelsea owners.
The £97million striker, 29 today, has endured a rough first campaign since heading back to Stamford Bridge from Inter Milan.
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Links with a stunning transfer return to Serie A are already surfacing - with Inter and AC Milan circling ahead of possible swoops while Barcelona may also be keen.
But with Todd Boehly's £4.25billion consortium expected to complete a takeover of the Blues in the coming weeks, Federico Pastorello revealed he is keen to discuss all things Lukaku with the American billionaire.
Asked about the Belgian heading back to Italy, Pastorello told : "He has the club and the fans in his heart, he has never hidden it, like his love for Anderlecht where he would like to end his career.
"But we cannot think about negotiations.
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"Chelsea are in takeover discussions, we do not know the new owners, let alone if we can open talks with Inter or AC Milan. We have to wait."
But Lukaku took to his social media soon after the quotes surfaced in Italy, seemingly swiping at his own rep.
The striker wrote: "Never ever will I let someone speak for me.
"I kept my mouth shut and focused on helping the team and end the season in the best way possible.
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"So if someone is out there trying to say something about me and the club... not in my name."
And manager Thomas Tuchel was unsure what to make of the fiasco in his press conference.
Asked about the Pastorello comments, the German boss said: "I think if he plans to talk with the owner, maybe it is not his plan to talk with me. It's fair enough.
"Let's see if he gets a meeting! It is his right.
"We will talk to anybody. We will evaluate any situation of any player, including Romelu.
"We will see what is going to happen and what the plans are.
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"I was only made aware of it five or ten minutes ago, actually. It's what sometimes happens in football.
"The attention is so high that sometimes it attracts situations that you don't want to have before big matches. It's the way it is.
"For me, it is not a distraction and hopefully, for everybody that works on the team and the team itself, it is not."
Lukaku dropped a bombshell announcement in an interview in December, revealing he was "not happy" with life at Chelsea.
He has managed just eight Premier League goals this term, ending a drought of ten matches and four months with his double against Wolves.
FINAL FOCUS
Another strike to seal a 3-0 win at Leeds in midweek means the ex-Manchester United man may have done enough to start the FA Cup final against Liverpool tomorrow.
But Pastorello is well aware this season must be seen as a disappointment.
The focus, for now, is winning Chelsea's remaining matches, though.
The agent added: "For the cost of the transfer, no one could have expected such a situation.
"I do not discuss the tactical choices, but it is obvious that there was a problem.
"The numbers, however, must be considered - he is still the team's best scorer, with less playing time compared to his team-mates.
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"The situation must be carefully assessed, now there is Champions League qualification to secure, there is the FA Cup final.
"Romelu is focused on this, we have not talked about anything else."
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