Mauricio Pochettino 'to offer Romelu Lukaku Chelsea lifeline this summer'

Mauricio Pochettino is reportedly expected to include Romelu Lukaku in his plans should he be appointed Chelsea head coach.

The Argentine has been out of work since leaving his position as Paris Saint-Germain manager at the end of the 2021-22 season.

However, he is the frontrunner to become Chelsea's new permanent head coach after impressing the club's hierarchy in the selection process.

A recent report claimed that Chelsea could confirm Pochettino's appointment later this week with only 'minor details' left to sort out.

The 51-year-old is set to take over from interim boss Frank Lampard at the end of the campaign, and he will have significant work to do following an unsuccessful campaign.

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Chelsea are currently sitting in the bottom half of the Premier League table, and one of the factors behind their struggles has been their underwhelming form in front of goal.

Having scored just 31 goals in 33 league games, the Blues are currently the fifth-lowest scorers in the top flight.

They are expected to sign a striker during the upcoming transfer window, but Pochettino could look in-house to solve their goalscoring woes.

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, the Argentine is prepared to offer Lukaku a fresh start at Stamford Bridge when he returns from his loan spell with Inter Milan.

Lukaku is believed to be keen on returning to Inter on loan next season, but Pochettino may be able to convince him to remain at Stamford Bridge.

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The report claims that if Pochettino becomes Chelsea's new head coach, he will present his vision to Lukaku, and give him time to decide whether he wants to be part of his plans.

Chelsea signed Lukaku from Inter in the summer of 2021 from Inter, but he struggled to find his best form during his second spell with the West London club.

Lukaku gave an interview with Italian TV in December 2021, where he indicated that he was struggling to prosper in Tuchel's system.

The relationship between Tuchel and Lukaku failed to recover after the interview and the Belgium international subsequently returned to Inter on a season-long loan deal.

Lukaku has made 28 competitive appearances for the Nerazzurri this season, scoring nine goals and providing five assists.