Chelsea Transfer News: Romelu Lukaku, Everton Contract Talk Amid Latest Rumours

Romelu Lukaku is reportedly edging closer to signing a new and improved long-term contract with Everton to end rumours of a return to Chelsea. 

The Belgium international joined Everton for a club-record fee of £28 million back in July 2014, signing a five-year deal on Merseyside.

Chelsea have been rumoured to be back in for their former striker, per the Telegraph (via Sky Sports), and Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain are also said to be sniffing around, per Darren Lewis of Daily Mirror. Therefore, the Toffees have decided to take evasive action.

Phil McNulty of BBC Sport wrote that Lukaku will become the highest-paid player in Everton history in the not-too-distant future by putting pen to paper on a whopping £100,000-per-week deal.

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The 23-year-old currently earns around £75,000 per week, but a lucrative new contract will likely see Chelsea pump the brakes on their approach for his services.

Rumours of the Blues making a summer swoop for Lukaku seemingly rested on the idea of Diego Costa leaving west London, but the Spain international decided to stay put and has been in irresistible form ever since.

Costa has scored 13 goals and created five more for Chelsea in 2016/17, per WhoScored.com. He’s also shown the levels of discipline that will help him kick on to the next level.

If Lukaku did return to Stamford Bridge, his chances of getting into the side ahead of Costa would be slim. Journalist Jason Heavey believes the Everton man could learn a lot from his Chelsea counterpart:

Joining up with one of European football’s superpowers wouldn’t exactly be bad for Lukaku’s career, though—even Everton boss Ronald Koeman believes that.

The former Southampton manager recently told Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws that the striker can only fulfil his potential at a bigger club than the Toffees, via BBC Sport:

"

His potential is greater and higher than Everton as a final destination.

If Romelu was to play at Everton until the end of his career I know he has left something behind.

I gave him confidence and he has himself recognised that it was good for his development to play another year at Everton. What after this season comes, no-one knows.

"

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So, even though Lukaku’s agent, Mino Raiola, and Everton majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri could tie up a deal soon, Chelsea will likely continue to keep tabs on the 23-year-old as his career progresses at Goodison Park.

You get the sense that a new contract is only delaying the inevitable for Lukaku, and it would be far from surprising to see a bidding war play out between the biggest clubs in the world sooner rather than later.