Lukaku sensation: NO DEAL in place for United as striker holds out for Chelsea move

 

A senior Everton official has told Yahoo Sport that there is NO DEAL in place for Romelu Lukaku to join Manchester United, despite reports of a £75m offer being accepted by the Goodison Park club.

Lukaku’s future has been the subject of intense speculation all summer, with a return to Chelsea

believed to be the striker’s preferred destination as he seeks to join a club playing Champions League football.

His somewhat fractious relationship with Jose Mourinho during their time together at Chelsea appeared to be a stumbling block in rumours linking him with a move to United, where Mourinho took over as manager last summer.

Yet Yahoo Sport UK has been told that United have held talks over a deal for Lukaku in recent days, as part of the discussions that will take Wayne Rooney back to Goodison Park.

With the Rooney deal to re-join Everton close to being confirmed, the news breaking on Thursday suggesting United had agreed a fee to sign Lukaku was quickly rebuffed by Everton sources, who hinted a deal to take the striker to Chelsea may yet be possible.

It may be that the stories emerging today are part of a plan to start an auction between Chelsea and United for Lukaku, with the Stamford Bridge club now expected to respond with a counter-offer for the 24-year-old forward who has scored 53 Premier League goals for Everton over the last three seasons.

Agent Mino Raiola’s strong working relationship with United after he finalised deals to bring Paul Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan to Old Trafford last summer may give the Old Trafford club an edge in their efforts to sign Lukaku, but Everton sources believe he still favours a move to Chelsea.

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte is reported to be frustrated by his club’s sluggish progress in the transfer market this summer and he may not be amused if United beat Chelsea to the punch by signing Lukaku.

So while the Belgian striker may well end up at United, it is clear that reports suggesting a deal is already in place to sign the player may have been a little hasty and there may be a few more twists and turns in this story before it reaches a conclusion.