Recent rumors are out that Chelsea is preparing a huge £50 million offer to Everton for the chance to get back Romelu Lukaku this summer.
The 23-year-old Belgium international signed with the Blues for three seasons, from 2011-2012 to 2013-2014 with the middle season spent on loan to West Bromwich Albion, before he was sent to the Toffees in the summer of 2013 initially only on a season-long loan.
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Everton eventually made the deal permanent the year after, signing Lukaku to a five-year deal while paying the Stamford Bridge giants a club record transfer fee of £28 million.
Right now, new Chelsea head coach Antonio Conte is rumored to be keen on adding the 6-foot-3 goalscorer to his offensive options next season and have asked the club to buy him back this summer for almost double of the price he was sold.
Conte currently has Diego Costa, Loic Remy, and Lukaku’s countryman, Michy Batshuayi, as his options up front next season and he is said to be looking to add one more to that number, according to Metro.
The 22-year-old Batshuayi, Lukaku’s teammate with the Belgian national team during the recent Euro 2016, decided to join the Blues earlier this month after his former squad Marseille received several offers from different clubs, such as West Ham United, Crystal Palace, and Juventus.
The Daily Star reported that Chelsea’s £50 million bid may not be enough to convince the Merseyside squad as Everton said to have placed a “mammoth £75 million price tag” on the 6-foot-3 Antwerp, Belgium native.
The report also noted that the Toffees are not yet ready to let go of Lukaku, which was the reason why they put up his release clause so high. Everton had also recently acquired the financial help of British-Iranian businessman Farad Moshiri, which means there is no longer a need for them to cash in on one of their star players.
Conte is known for utilizing the 3-5-2 formation during his time with the Italy national team since 2014 before he accepted the Blues’ head coaching job. If he chooses to stay with that formation at Chelsea, then adding another striker like Lukaku would definitely boost the squad’s depth as the Belgian can partner with Costa as starters up front.
