Chelsea reportedly rejected the chance to sign Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski before completing a big-money deal for Romelu Lukaku.
The Blues announced Lukaku's return on Thursday evening, with the Belgium international re-joining the London giants in a club-record deal worth £97.5m.
According to Bild, Lewandowski's agent Pini Zahavi offered Chelsea the opportunity to sign Lewandowski this summer, but Thomas Tuchel's side were not prepared to pay his £68m asking price.
Erling Braut Haaland is believed to have been Chelsea's leading centre-forward target this summer, but Borussia Dortmund have refused to part with the Norway international.
Lewandowski still has two years left to run on his contract at Allianz Arena, and a spectacular 2020-21 campaign saw him find the back of the net on 48 occasions in 40 appearances at club level.
Lukaku, meanwhile, leaves Inter Milan having scored 64 times over the last two seasons, and the 28-year-old is back at the club that he previously represented between 2011 and 2014.
Matt Law
