Chelsea Move to Hijack Man Utd's £24m Serie A Target Jhon Lucumi

Chelsea are threatening to derail Manchester United‘s pursuit of Bologna centre-back Jhon Lucumi, with BlueCo moving to register interest in the Colombian defender as Bologna hold firm on a £24m asking price.

Lucumi, 28, is a left-footed centre-back who came through at Deportivo Cali in Colombia before moving to Belgian club Genk in July 2018. He joined Bologna in August 2022 for €8m and has since made 152 appearances across all competitions, earning 42 caps for the Colombian national team in the process. His contract expires next year, making a summer exit the likely outcome.

“A year ago, we couldn’t sell him at the end of the transfer window. But we promised him that this year, given a suitable offer, we’d make it happen. The transfer window hasn’t really taken off yet, and if it didn’t for Lucumi either, we’d be happy to keep him.” — Bologna CEO Claudio Fenucci

Italian outlet Corriere di Bologna reported on July 21 that United had “made a move” for the player after “joining the list of suitors.” Fellow Italian source Quotidiano Sportivo has since reported that United have “rekindled contact,” with the club searching for centre-half reinforcements as they look to move on from Harry Maguire. United already have an existing relationship with Bologna, having paid £36.5m for Dutch striker Joshua Zirkzee in July 2024.

Chelsea’s interest stems directly from their decision to sell Trevoh Chalobah to Como for €36m (£31m). With that deal agreed, they are “now in the market for a centre-back, preferably a left-footed player,” per the report, and have made contact to sound out a move for Lucumi. Stamford Bridge is described as an attractive destination even without Champions League football next season.

Nottingham Forest and Juventus are also in contention. Juve opened bidding at €15m (£13m) plus add-ons, then raised their offer to €18m (£15m) plus add-ons. Both proposals were rejected. Forest submitted a €25m (£21m) bid, which Bologna also turned down. With Bologna’s price fixed at €28m (£24m), no suitor has yet met that threshold.

As things stand, Juventus hold the strongest interest, with Chelsea and United still active in the background. Bologna’s position is clear: the right offer gets the deal done. Stay with TipsGG for the latest updates as this transfer race develops.

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