Report: Chelsea willing to offer as much as £70M for Everton's Lukaku
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Chelsea isn't giving up its pursuit for ex-striker Romelu Lukaku.
The Blues are prepared to offer Everton a deal worth up to £70 million to buy back the Belgium international, whom they sold for less than half that amount two years ago, according to The Telegraph's Sam Wallace.
Chelsea would also be willing to include castoff Loic Remy as a potential makeweight.
It would take some convincing to get the Toffees to part ways with one of its protagonists less than two weeks before the start of the Premier League campaign. Lukaku has scored 45 goals since arriving at Goodison Park for £28 million.
Everton is also facing a similar offensive from Manchester City for wantaway centre-back John Stones. Chelsea had vigorously pursued the former Barnsley man last summer, submitting several bids as the player requested a transfer.
Stones didn't move in the end, and now the club is holding out for a £50-million fee from Pep Guardiola's side.
It's believed Chelsea, however, are not part of any bidding war for the player this time around.
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Manager Antonio Conte is apparently still looking to reinforce his attacking options, despite the £33-million arrival of Michy Batshuayi earlier this summer. Diego Costa's future with Chelsea is also under a cloud of doubt.
But Wallace reports Lukaku is keen on a return to Stamford Bridge, where he failed to make an impact after joining Chelsea from Anderlecht in 2011.
The Times' Matt Hughes and Gary Jacob believe Everton already rejected an initial £57-million bid from Chelsea last week, although there seems to be optimism in Conte's camp that a deal can be completed before the end of the transfer window on Aug. 31.
More negotiations are set to take place this week, according to Hughes and Jacob.
Regardless, it's almost certain Chelsea would have to smash its previous £50-million transfer record to re-sign Lukaku. The four-time Premier League winner set the benchmark in 2011 to acquire Fernando Torres from Liverpool.