Chelsea are reportedly back in the race to sign Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Braut Haaland, following the comments made by Romelu Lukaku.
Lukaku, 28, recently issued a public apology to Chelsea fans following an interview with Sky Sport Italia in which he stated that he was 'unhappy with his situation' at Stamford Bridge and was keen to return to Inter Milan in the near future, less than five months after his £97.5m transfer to the Blues.
According to Bild, via Sport Witness, Chelsea's dispute with Lukaku could 'abruptly' change their stance on signing Haaland next summer, who they initially did not consider as a primary target.
The report adds that Lukaku's interview has not gone down well with Thomas Tuchel behind the scenes, with the German head coach viewing the Belgian's comments as an 'insult to his majesty'.
Haaland is expected to be one of the world's most sought-after strikers in the summer when his £64m release clause becomes active.
Should Chelsea register their interest in the 21-year-old Norway international, then they will likely face stern competition from the likes of Manchester City, Manchester United, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain.
After being dropped from the Chelsea squad for their 2-2 draw with Liverpool last weekend, Lukaku returned to Tuchel's starting lineup for their League Cup semi-final first leg against Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday night, which the Blues won 2-0 at Stamford Bridge.
Oliver Thomas
