Di Marzio: Roma to Hold Lukaku Meeting in London

Standing in contrast to the rest of their transfer business this summer, Roma moved quickly to close on Sardar Azmoun. Operating in silence, General Manager Tiago Pinto landed the 28-year-old forward on loan from Bayer Leverkusen while those in the Western Hemisphere peacefully slept. Pinto moved so swiftly that there was barely an indication Roma was interested in the Iranian international.

Azmoun will likely need at least a week to get up to speed on José Mourinho's tactics, so for the time being, he'll likely remain second fiddle to Andrea Belotti and Paulo Dybala in Roma's forward rotation.

But that won't stop the club from seeking additional attacking upgrades, at least not according to Gianluca Di Marzio. And we're talking about a potentially big upgrade, literally and figuratively:

According to Gianluca Di Marzio, Roma executives Ryan Friedkin and Tiago Pinto are en route to London to meet with their Chelsea counterparts—the subject: a potential Romelu Lukaku loan. While the 30-year-old Belgian forward was previously linked with a return to Inter Milan or even a taste of life with Juventus, those links gradually cooled, leaving Lukaku with few viable options.

Lukaku's restricted choices may soon become a blessing to Roma, who now has a chance to take the prolific striker on a season-long loan. However, Di Marzio quickly pointed out that while the two sides are meeting face-to-face, no deal is yet in place, though Roma remains confident they can close the deal.

Di Marzio continues to say that Lukaku has already spoken to Mourinho about joining the Giallorossi but may still have to reduce his salary, a point Lukaku reportedly wants to mull over for a few days.

Despite those minor details, the deal seems close, particularly since Di Marzio claims that Chelsea is only engaged with Roma over a potential Lukaku deal.

Stay tuned; this could be a season-changing move for the Giallorossi.