Football news - Chelsea on verge of Romelu Lukaku and Jules Kounde swoops - Paper Round

The Telegraph reports that Chelsea are close to agreeing a £97.5 million deal for Inter Milan striker Romelu Lukaku. Inter had been holding out for a huge cash payout for the 28-year-old Belgium international forward, who had taken a pay cut to come to Serie A. After winning the title and seeing Antonio Conte depart, he now looks likely to make the switch to Stamford Bridge next week.

Paper Round’s view: Chelsea are clearly looking to steal a march on some of their Premier League rivals who are still cutting their cloth accordingly after the coronavirus pandemic hit their finances. They have needed reinforcements in their forward line for some time and the departure of Olivier Giroud has made that need more pressing. It remains to be seen how or if he teams up with Timo Werner.

Barcelona’s Bosnian midfielder Miralem Pjanic looks likely to leave the Spanish club this summer. The 31-year-old’s most probable destination looks to be his former side, Italian team Juventus. With Max Allegri back in charge he wants to bring the 31-year-old back from Spain and the Spanish club are looking to cut costs, reports Spanish newspaper Marca.

Paper Round’s view: Pjanic is an excellent player but one who never settled in with his new side. If he only has a few years left of his career then his choice is clear - he can either try to assert himself at a club which has been thrown into chaos following the departure of Lionel Messi, or he can return to a club he knows where the manager trusts him.

Derby County have decided to bring in Ravel Morrison after a summer operating under a transfer embargo, reports the Mail. The 28-year-old playmaker last appeared professionally for Den Haag, and has signed a one-year contract to play for his former team-mate Wayne Rooney. Rooney said: “I think with Ravel, he's very misunderstood. His ability is clear for everyone to see. Since he's been with us, the standards in training have gone up. There are things he does on and off the ball that I can recognise immediately. That's where he's brought the levels up in training.”

Paper Round’s view: Morrison is potentially an excellent player if he can get his head right. The problem here is that after a decade of chances, that is yet to happen. He is a player who can't put his head down and stay professional, and that means he never gets the chance to properly settle at a club. If by some fluke he can do so at Derby, then they have a special player.

Chelsea are in talks with Sevilla over the signing of their 22-year-old Jules Kounde. The Frenchman can operate as a central defender. Chelsea will be helped by news in the Mail that the Spanish club are now in talks with Schalke over the signature of 21-year-old Ozan Kabak, though they are €5m short of the €15m asking price.

Paper Round’s view: Kounde will be hugely expensive unless Sevilla are desperate for cash, but if they can land Kabak at a decent price and make sure he is rehabilitated, then they should clear a fair profit and be able to ultimately come out barely any weaker, if they are weaker at all. As for Chelsea, they are addressing perhaps their last remaining problem area.