Chelsea twist to saga over Lukaku
Chelsea have made a last- ditch bid to hijack Manchester United’s swoop for romelu lukaku.
The Premier league champions have promised to match the fee for the everton striker and his personal terms.
But United, who will pay at least £75million to clinch the deal, remain in the driving seat.
chelsea will not pay what is thought to be an eight-figure fee to lukaku’s agent Mino raiola, which is a key part of the United package.
Before United stepped in with their concrete bid, lukaku was in contact with chelsea manager antonio conte and made it clear he was enthusiastic about a return to the club who brought him to england and from anderlecht as a teenager in 2011.
however, the Belgium forward has formed a close bond with United midfielder Paul Pogba and they are currently on holiday together in n los angeles. The pair air have the same agent.
despite Jose Mourinho ih agreeing to sell lukaku to everton three years ago, the United manager is anxious to work with him again.
lukaku is expected to have a United medical this weekend and join Mourinho’s squad for their tour of the United states when all the details with everton are completed.
chelsea were stunned by United’s quick move to sign lukaku, especially as conte had identified him as the No 1 target to replace diego costa, who is thought to be on his way to atletico Madrid following a fall- out with the chelsea boss.
as part of chelsea’s changes to their backroom staff, they will show their support for conte by appointing a new italian coach selected by the manager.
conte has become frustrated by the slow start to business in the transfer window, but chelsea are close to signing antonio rudiger and Tiemoue Bakayoko, who should both have medicals in the next few days. despite apparently missing out on lulukaku, the stamford Bridge Brid board will not abort ab the plan to sell costa, c although they are a demanding more than £60million for the want- away striker. conte may also a be placated by winning w his fight to bring br davide Mazzotta on tto his staff. Mazzotta Maz is a 47-year-old former defender who started his playing career at lecce at the same time as conte.
he did not reach the same heights, spending most of his playing career in the third and fourth tiers of italian football before moving into coaching.
he returned to lecce to coach in the youth system and worked on the analysis of opponents when conte was italy boss.
Mazzotta is not seen as a direct replacement for steve holland, who left chelsea at the end of the season to become assistant to england manager Gareth southgate. he will fulfil a scouting and video analysis role and his arrival represents a significant victory for the manager.
chelsea’s board wanted to select their own coach to follow holland.
conte, yet to sign a new £9.5million-a-year contract which was verbally agreed at the end of last season, has made it clear he felt it was important to have trusted coaches in his team.
Owner roman abramovich has made this concession.
The chelsea manager gathered seven of his closest staff and their families together for a working holiday at a five- star resort in sardinia last week. Present were angelo alessio, carlo cudicini, chris Jones, constantino coratti, Paolo Bertelli, Gianluca spinelli, and Gianluca conte, the manager’s younger brother and assistant coach.
They will report for pre-season on Monday and costa is expected back with the rest of the squad unless there is rapid development in his proposed move to atletico.
costa insists he will only consider a move to his former club but the two parties remain a long way apart in terms of valuation. atletico are unwilling to pay more than £22m for a 28-year-old with only two years on his contract.
chelsea are determined not to be bullied into a cut-price sale, although their bargaining position is comprised by conte’s infamous text. he sent a message to costa at the end of last season telling him he was not part of the manager’s plans.
The personal relationship is seen to be beyond repair.
There is the added complication of a transfer ban which prevents atletico from registering new players before the end of the year.
chelsea are confident of making progress in their efforts to sign rudiger and Bakayoko before the end of next week.
centre half rudiger will cost £34m from roma and Bakayoko will cost at least £ 35m from Monaco.