“We had a bit of a laugh” – Italian pizzeria owner claims he enjoyed chat with Chelsea boss Tuchel over Lukaku’s situation at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel was spotted in a Perugia-based pizzeria with company. He is believed to be in Italy to iron out Romelu Lukaku's potential move.

The owner of the pizzeria, Eulo Mattioni, asked the German for a selfie to commemorate the moment. Later, he mentioned on social media that Lukaku was in the pizzeria.

Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport (via Football Italia), Mattioni said:

“Tuchel was a really nice person. We had a bit of a laugh over the Lukaku situation. He ordered two pizzas: one for him and one for his partner and was complimentary about our restaurant and location.”

Lukaku has had a fairly disappointing return to English football in the recently concluded season. The Belgian’s performances have seen him widely linked with a departure from Chelsea after he failed to register double-digit goals for the Blues, despite costing the club close to £100 million.

Lukaku was re-signed by Chelsea in 2021 after two impressive seasons with Antonio Conte at Inter Milan. However, the star was far from his best and fell out with the club after his poorly thought-out interview with Sky Italia last year.

Chelsea will hope that they can possibly agree a deal with Inter to see the Belgian return to Italy. Lukaku does not seem to be a part of Tuchel’s plans and with the Blues ownership issues resolved, the club will hope to replace him soon.

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Arsenal and other Premier League clubs chase after Chelsea youngster: Reports

Romelu Lukaku might be leaving for Inter this season on a loan deal, which means there could be a slot for another youngster to make their name at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea’s young striker Armando Broja continues to draw attention across the footballing world. The young Albanian striker has enjoyed a fairly decent debut season in the Premier League with Southampton and has become highly sought-after.

According to Express, Arsenal, West Ham, and Newcastle have all been linked with moves for Broja and it seems like the Blues will have to spend the summer deciding his future.

The Gunners, in particular, need attacking reinforcements this summer, with the North London side looking thin in the final third. Arteta is reportedly a big fan of the youngster and would consider adding him to his youthful attack.

West Ham remain in the search for a top-quality attacker, with David Moyes’ impressive Hammers' side looking like regular top-six contenders. Newcastle also remain in the market for a striker to lead the line for them in their new era following their takeover by a Saudi-backed consortium.

With so many suitors, it remains to be seen what Chelsea will decide about Armando Broja. After all, the Blues might just decide to integrate him into their own team. Nevertheless, Broja’s future will be resolved in the coming weeks as the transfer window opens.