Chelsea have reportedly rejected a loan bid from Juventus for striker Romelu Lukaku, with the player currently surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge.
The 30-year-old spent the 2022-23 campaign in Serie A with Inter Milan, reaching the Champions League final in which they faced Manchester City, although the Italians were ultimately unable to record their first European success since 2010.
After coming on as a substitute in that showpiece match against Pep Guardiola's Citizens, Lukaku missed two high-quality chances, leading to a lot of criticism from supporters and pundits alike.
The Belgium international had a steady campaign for the Nerazzurri in Serie A, scoring 10 goals and providing six assists in 25 appearances, with 19 of those coming from the start.
According to Tuttosport, Chelsea have rejected a loan offer from Juventus for Lukaku, as Massimiliano Allegri's men join domestic rivals Inter Milan in the race for the forward's services this summer.
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The Old Lady are said to have approached the Blues over a potential temporary deal for the striker with an option to buy at the end of the 2023-24 campaign.
It is understood that the West Londoners are not interested in loaning Lukaku out at this moment, with the club's hierarchy keen on offloading the attacker permanently during this transfer window.
Mauricio Pochettino's men are believed to have placed a £34.2m price tag on the former Manchester United man, however that asking price could drop as the summer progresses.
Lukaku is currently training at Chelsea's Cobham base after being left out of the Blues' 30-man squad which travelled to the United States for a friendly against Wrexham and three matches in the Premier League Summer Series.
The report claims that Inter Milan had their second bid for the forward - totalling £26m - rejected by the Stamford Bridge club a fortnight ago, allowing Juventus to enter the race for his signature.
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After the Belgian was benched for the Champions League final in Istanbul, it is understood that Lukaku now prefers a move to Turin over a third spell in Milan.
The attacker's first stint at San Siro saw him net an impressive 47 Serie A goals across two campaigns, with that sensational form enough to earn him a permanent move to Chelsea in the summer of 2021.
Juventus are supposedly in the hunt for a new striker amid suggestions that Serbian Dusan Vlahovic could be on his way out of the club, with Allegri's men reportedly aiming to pocket £77m from the sale of the 23-year-old.
Chelsea conclude their pre-season preparations - without wantaway Lukaku - by facing Fulham and Borussia Dortmund within the next week, while an intriguing clash with Liverpool awaits the Blues in their Premier League opener on August 13.
