Happy international break Chelsea FC supporters. The club may be off until Oct 1, when they’ll stage a London derby at Crystal Palace, but there are no shortage of news items to discuss. So let’s dive right into the next edition of Chelsea news and notes, covering two Americans, and one Belgian.
And let’s start there, by talking about Romelu Lukaku, who was actually linked a few days ago, as part of a sensational swap deal (hypothetically of course) for Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur.
No, we don’t think that sounds legit either, but what will ultimately happen to Big Rom? Currently out on loan at Inter Milan, he’s content exactly where he is and thus, has no plans to return to Chelsea. That’s according to Gazzetta dello Sport in Italy.
Lukaku re-joined Inter this summer after totally flopping with Chelsea last year, where he scored just eight goals in the league. Stricken by injury thus far this season, he’s only made three appearances and scored only one goal, but he reportedly wants to stay at the San Siro beyond 2022-23.
Elsewhere, Christian Pulisic pulled out of the USA’s loss to Japan on Friday, at the last minute, due to a knock (or so they say). He is reportedly touch and go for the next USMNT clash, against Saudi Arabia on Tuesday night. So it sounds, at least right now, like his injury isn’t that serious. But what about Pulisic’s future at club? The lack of playing time he’s had this season
Linked with a move to Newcastle United, Manchester United and Juventus, no one knows where he might be balling come next summer. So with that in mind, you have some media members, all over the world, have overreacting and overanalyzing the commentary of Pulisic’s fellow American and future club teammate.
Gaga Slonina, the teenage goalkeeper who signed from the Chicago Fire this summer for ten million dollars, made this remark: “I did give him a message when I was in Chelsea, signing and everything. He [Pulisic] said he’s super excited for me to be with the club and hopefully we can see the field together.”
Remember Slonina won’t join the club until January 1, and it almost certainly won’t be until down the line that he joins the senior squad at Chelsea.
Thus we fixate on that one word there: ‘hopefully.’ Maybe this is a hint that the 24-year-old USMNT Captain won’t be in west London beyond 2023? Or maybe we’re just reading way too much into this? Have at it in the comments section.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Bank (TheSportsBank.Net) and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and he co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast, part of Edge of the Crowd Network. Follow him and the website on Twitter and Instagram.