It will come as absolutely no surprise to anyone, least of all Everton, if Chelsea make a raid for Romelu Lukaku this summer.
The Belgian has turned down an initial contract offer from the Toffees, and he’s never made any secret of his desire to play at the very top level.
There’s undoubtedly a seed being planted at Goodison Park, but Ronald Koeman’s project is unlikely to bear fruit in time to convince his star striker to stay.
However ambitious Everton might be, Lukaku always seems to have even bigger personal goals.
One such goal is to prove his doubters wrong at former club Chelsea, so that is a deal that will definitely be a talking point at the end of the season.
However, the Telegraph are reporting that while Antonio Conte baulked at a £60million asking price for Lukaku last summer, he’s now plotting a £100million joint-bid for the forward and Ross Barkley.
Something about the playmaker’s relationship with Koeman has never quite clicked. Yet, the 23-year-old has improved in recent months, and Chelsea are keen to bring in more homegrown players.
Nonetheless, as the Blues found in their pursuit of John Stones, Everton can be exceptionally stubborn when it comes to these matters, and they no longer need the money.
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