You are here: HomeSportsSoccer2023 09 11Article 690941

Soccer News of Monday, 11 September 2023

Source: www.sportsbrief.com

Romelu Lukaku’s agent condemns Saudi Pro League for his clients’ difficult transfer window

Romelu Lukaku in action for Roma Romelu Lukaku in action for Roma

Romelu Lukaku's agent has blamed the Saudi Pro League (SPL) for his client's difficult summer transfer window. The Belgian striker ended up joining AS Roma on loan late last month.

The 30-year-old spent last season on loan at Inter Milan and helped them reach the Champions League final, but struggled to find a new home in the summer.

Lukaku rejoined his former club Chelsea for £97.5 million in 2021 but fell out with manager Thomas Tuchel before returning to Inter last season.

He was reportedly expected to return to Simone Inzaghi's side, but negotiations collapsed. Lukaku was linked with a move to Juventus, which involved a swap deal with Dusan Vlahovic but the deal never materialized.

The former Everton and Manchester United striker reportedly received offers from Saudi Arabia but opted to remain in Europe, eventually reuniting with his former manager Jose Mourinho, per BBC.

Lukaku's agent blasts SPL

The representative of the Roma striker, Sebastien Ledure, has said SPL's extravagant spending complicated his clients' move away from the London side.

"It was very difficult, even impossible at the start of the transfer window, to talk about a loan solution. And what the owners of Chelsea were looking for was...a permanent transfer. And the real change that happened this summer was the arrival of Saudi clubs on the international transfer market," via 90min.

SPL clubs have splashed the cash this summer, luring top players from European clubs like Neymar, Ruben Neves, Sadio Mane, Fabinho, Riyad Mahrez and many others.

"They have set the bar so high in terms of the transfer compensation offered to European clubs and in this case to Chelsea, that it has become very difficult for European clubs..."