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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Kieran King

Chelsea news: Mykhaylo Mudryk told transfer was "unfair" as Romelu Lukaku plan laid out

Chelsea will be looking to make it four successive victories when they face Everton on Saturday.

The Blues recorded a 3-1 win over Leicester last weekend, which followed up successes over Borussia Dortmund and Leeds as they aim to mount a late top four push. Graham Potter's men sit 11 points behind Tottenham in the Premier League table but do have a game in hand on Spurs, meaning a late blitz is not out of the question.

However, Chelsea will have to be at their best to beat a stern test in Everton, who have been in better form of late since the appointment of Sean Dyche. In the meantime, Mykhaylo Mudryk has been backed up by Ian Wright, while Romelu Lukaku's future is up in the air despite Inter Milan's Champions League qualification.

Here is all the latest news coming out of Stamford Bridge.

Wright on "unfair" Mudryk pressure

Ian Wright has admitted he feels "sorry" for Mykhaylo Mudryk after the Ukrainian made the big-money move to Chelsea amid transfer interest from Arsenal.

The 22-year-old all looked set to join the Gunners in January, only for Graham Potter's side to swoop in with a higher offer in the region of £87million - which Shakhtar Donetsk accepted. However, it was also revealed that Ukraine's armed forces was set to receive a major £20m windfall from the transfer.

Since his move to Stamford Bridge, Mudryk has failed to find the net in seven appearances - grabbing just one assist in the process. However, ex-Arsenal forward Wright believes that the pressure on Mudryk to find form is "unfair".

"They (Arsenal) didn’t get Mudryk and that might be the best thing that happened to them," he said on Wrighty's House Podcast. I don’t care what anyone says, Mudryk, and we've seen up to this point, he wouldn't have done what Trossard has done what Trossard has been doing up to this point.

"Mudryk, for his own sake, I do feel sorry for him because I don’t know if there’s anyone in the history of football whose had to have a transfer of that amount of money with so much politicalness around him. It’s almost unfair."

(Getty Images)

Lukaku plan laid out

Inter Milan chief executive Beppe Marotta has confirmed that Romelu Lukaku will return to Chelsea once his season-long loan at the San Siro concludes in the summer.

Lukaku was a popular figure with the Italian giants before he was lured back to Stamford Bridge for a second spell in the summer of 2021 in a blockbuster £97.5million move. But after struggling to live up expectations, the 29-year-old was shipped back out to the Serie A outfit on loan before the start of the 2022/23 campaign.

Marotta has outlined that regardless of how the rest of the season pans out, Lukaku will return to Chelsea in the summer. He said: "The loan was for one season so on June 30 regardless of how well he plays, he'll go back to Chelsea. This has been an unprecedented season.

"I'm referring of course to the World Cup. The problems we've experienced have been experienced by other clubs too and the players who played at the World Cup. Lukaku is a case in point. [Marcelo] Brozovic isn't the Brozovic we know. Lukaku hasn't found the fitness he needs to play his best football. He’s still not at his best or the player we got to see in years gone by."

Read the full story here.

Tuchel lined up for Real Madrid

Thomas Tuchel has been learning Spanish in recent months to bolster his chances of landing the Real Madrid job – amid links with replacing Antonio Conte at Tottenham.

Tuchel was surprisingly sacked by Chelsea in September with Graham Potter replacing him in the hot seat at Stamford Bridge. The Blues have struggled for results in recent months with fans chanting Tuchel's name during their four-goal FA Cup defeat at Manchester City earlier this year.

The German coach was not interested in taking over at Aston Villa following the sacking of Steven Gerrard in October, with Unai Emery appointed at Villa Park. That came after Bayer Leverkusen made an approach for the out-of-work German, before moving to appoint Xabi Alonso.

Spurs and Chelsea share a close rivalry but no shortage of former Blues bosses have subsequently moved on to coach the north London side, including Andre Villas-Boas, Jose Mourinho and current Tottenham boss Conte.

Separate reports have outlined how Tuchel turned down approaches from two unnamed Premier League clubs as he postponed a return to the dugout. However he is now said to be open to replacing Conte at Spurs – just months after the two clashed in fiery scenes during a Premier League meeting this season.

Read more here.

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