Romelu Lukaku has blossomed into a potential star while playing for Everton the past four seasons (the first on loan from Chelsea and the last three under contract with the club). Lukaku has done so by bagging 68 goals in 141 games for the Toffees, including 25 in the 2016-2017 season which was good for second-best in the Premier League behind Harry Kane’s 29. This type of elite performance would often necessitate a new contract offer but rather than continue to hone his craft at Goodison Park the Belgian international rejected a five-year offer from Everton has decided to seek a move to a bigger club with the two favorites to land him being his former team Chelsea, and Manchester United, headed by the manager who ironically facilitated his move to Everton in the first place; Jose Mourinho.
This two horse race has grown increasingly odd in recent days with rumors that Everton was commanding a world record fee of 100 million British Pounds to sign the 24-year-old drawing both gasps and laughs from those watching the saga. That rumored fee was apparently unfounded because the next bit of news about the player was that Everton had agreed to sell Lukaku to United for “only” 75 million Pounds and that the final physical was being done in Los Angeles so Lukaku could join United on their offseason tour of the United States. Now reports are saying that no Manchester United deal had been finalized and that Chelsea Manager Antonio Conte had matched United’s bid offer. What happens next is anyone’s guess, there is little doubt that Lukaku will leave Everton but he could still change his mind and decide to try and leave again next summer or in 2019 after his current deal expires to remove the hassle of transfer fees. There could be a bidding war between the two financially huge clubs vying for his services or a third horse could enter the race. Either way, it is certain one club will get their new striker and the other will be left annoyed and seeking other options.
