Chelsea plan to offer Romelu Lukaku higher wages than Diego Costa currently earns in order to bring him back to Stamford Bridge.
Lukaku confirmed yesterday that staying at Everton “is not an option” this summer and is in talks with the Merseyside club over securing a transfer away.
As Standard Sport first revealed in April 2016, the Belgium striker has made a return to Chelsea, where he started just one League game between 2011-14, his main priority.
Chelsea are confident they can agree a fee but are not prepared to pay Everton’s asking price of £100million. They hope to spend £80m at most to secure his signature, which is already a huge increase on the £28m Everton paid Chelsea three years ago.
Lukaku appeared to suggest on Tuesday that he has already secured a deal with his next club. But it is understood the forward actually meant he and agent Mino Raiola had agreed where his next club will be and no contract has yet been signed.
Chelsea are looking to pay him in excess of £150,000 a week, which is what Costa earns at the Blues. Lukaku, who has scored 85 goals in the Premier League having had loan spells at West Brom and Everton before moving to Goodison Park permanently, is on £80,000 a week.
He rejected Everton’s offer of £140,000 a week in March because of his desire to rejoin Chelsea, where he feels he can win silverware.
Manchester United are ready to give him £200,000 a week to move to Old Trafford, which is more than Chelsea are willing to offer, but they are aware of his desire to join the champions and are now pursuing Real Madrid’s Alvaro Morata.
The long-term future of Costa at Chelsea is still not certain, although he will not be signed by Atletico Madrid as their transfer ban from Fifa has been upheld.
He has just two years left on his contract, although there have been reports in Italy that he will be handed an extension and a pay rise.
Photo: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images
Coach Antonio Conte wanted Lukaku or Morata to be paired with Costa last season but the club failed to agree a deal with Everton and Real Madrid respectively.
The Italian wants more strength in depth to compete on four fronts, including the Champions League, next term anyway, but is considering going back to his original plan of playing with two strikers in a 4-2-4 formation.
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