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Chelsea are preparing to lock horns with West Ham United at the London Stadium on Sunday (August 20) in the Premier League. The Blues are coming off a 1-1 draw against Liverpool last weekend.
Meanwhile, West Ham United are eyeing a move for Blues striker Romelu Lukaku this summer. Elsewhere, midfielder Hakim Ziyech has moved to Galatasaray on loan.
On that note, here's a look at the key Chelsea transfer stories as on August 20, 2023:
West Ham eyeing Romelu Lukaku
West Ham United are interested in Romelu Lukaku, according to Caught Offside.
The Belgian striker is eager to end his Stamford Bridge nightmare this summer. Chelsea are also pushing to offload him before the end of the month. Inter Milan were heavily linked with their former player at the start of the summer. The Nerazzurri, though, ended their pursuit of the 30-year-old after they found that he had established contact with Juventus, too.
However, the Bianconeri have also left the race for Lukaku and have decided to keep faith in Dusan Vlahovic for now. The Belgian has admirers in the Middle East but wants to stay in Europe for now.
West Ham have now entered the fray and have already asked about his availability. The Hammers are looking for a replacement for Gianluca Scamacca, and Lukaku has popped up on their radar.
AC Milan also briefly considered a move for the 30-year-old but balked at the overall finances of the deal. Despite the saga dragging on for ages, the Blues remain confident of cashing in on the player.
Hakim Ziyech joins Galatasaray on loan
Hakim Ziyech has moved to Galatasaray on a temporary move. The Moroccan was introduced to fans during the club's 2-0 win on Saturday against Trabzonspor. The Turkish side will pay Chelsea £3 million in loan fees for the 30-year-old. The move also has an €2.85 million option to sign the player permanently next summer.
Ziyech has been an enigma since arriving at Stamford Bridge from Ajax in 2020. He failed to live up to expectations with the Blues, dropping down the pecking order.
The Moroccan was heavily linked with an exit in January, but a move to Paris Saint-Germain broke down in the eleventh hour. The London giants were determined to offload the 30-year-old in the summer, and Galatasaray have taken him off their hands.
Chelsea backed for a busy end to the summer
Journalist Ben Jacobs reckon Chelsea will be quite busy between now and the end of the summer.
New boss Pochettino has already added multiple names to his roster, while many big-name players have left. The Blues are hoping to break into the top four by investing wisely in their squad.
Jacobs told Give Me Sport that the club are now focusing on outgoings.
"I expect Chelsea to be really busy between now and the end of the window with the incoming and with outgoings.
"We can talk about the outgoings maybe in a moment, but Hakim Ziyech, subject to final confirmation that he’s passed the medical, will be off to Galatasaray. And that’s the one that Chelsea really wanted to get done," said Jacobs.
He continued:
"Romelu Lukaku will be encouraged to go to Saudi Arabia if no European club comes in for him and agrees a deal with Chelsea between now and when the window shuts.
"And that’s the advantage of the Saudi top flight window; it doesn’t close until September 7.”
The London giants are expected to add more firepower to their attack this summer.
