Chelsea Transfer News: Romelu Lukaku Price Set, Latest Alvaro Morata Rumours
Everton will reportedly demand ยฃ75 million for Romelu Lukaku in order to fend off Chelsea, after the Blues renewed their interest in him with their pursuit of Alvaro Morata faltering.ย
According to Simon Jones of the Daily Mail, after thus far failing to prise No. 1 target Morata away from Real Madrid, Chelsea are considering Lukaku among their other options, with manager Antonio Conte a fan of the Belgian.
The Toffees have responded by upping his price tag by ยฃ10 million and offering him a new deal at Goodison Park.
Matt Law of the Daily Telegraph believes Everton's plan is likely to work:
Of course, the Blues could still test the Toffees' resolve with a lower bid, but it's clear they'll need to be willing to part with a huge sum of money to get him.
The 23-year-old netted 25 goals in all competitions last season, picking up 18 in the Premier League.
He's been one of the most prolific strikers in the English top flight in recent years and could provide another strong option up front along with Diego Costa and Michy Batshuayi.
However, consistency can still be an issueโhe failed to score in Everton's last 10 games of the seasonโwhichย can lead to frustrating performances.
Even for a player as prolific as Lukaku, the fee Everton want is far too much, particularly after Chelsea already brought in Batshuayi this summer.
As for Morata, Law believes the ball is now in his court if a deal is to take place:
However, the forward seems content to stay put at the Santiago Bernabeu. He told Alberto Navarro of Real's official website:
"It is incredible to be here again. It is a dream come true and I can't wait to get started. I can't wait for tomorrow to arrive so we can get to work. [Zinedine] Zidane works hard and does a lot of physical work. I have had two great years at Juventus, I learned a lot and I can only be thankful because without this experience I would not be here.
"
Morata has been training with Los Blancos in Canada as part of their pre-season tour:
He, too, would be an excellent striker at Stamford Bridge thanks to his quick feet, technical ability and propensity to score on big occasions.
While he's good enough to warrant a starting berth, he has often been used as an impact substitute with Juventusโwhich makes him equally useful to Real, as even he is unlikely to replace one of their front three in the starting lineup.
The Blues may have to look elsewhere for striking talent this summer. Though, having already signed Batshuayi, they seem stronger than last seasonโit would not be a disaster if they fail to bring in another forward.
