Manchester United and Chelsea face a fight to sign Romelu Lukaku this summer, with Everton keen to resist all offers for their star striker, according to media reports.
Lukaku, 22, joined Everton from Chelsea in 2014 in a £28 million (Dh147m) deal following a season on loan at Goodison Park. The Belgian forward continues to boost his burgeoning reputation as one of the finest young strikers in Europe and is third in the Premier League goalscoring charts with 18.
Lukaku’s fine form, combined with 12th-placed Everton’s current struggles, has led to speculation that the striker could leave the club in the summer for one of England’s heavyweights, with United and former club Chelsea regularly linked with a move.
However, recent investment in Everton from Iranian billionaire Farhad Moshiri has offered the club a greater position of strength than they may have had in previous seasons, and with ambitions of their own to challenge the Premier League’s top tier, retaining key players like Lukaku will be a top priority this summer.
According to the Daily Mirror, United and Chelsea will have to offer in excess of £50m for Lukaku, although a big offer may still not be enough to tempt Everton into letting the former Anderlecht player leave.
However, Lukaku’s admission that he wants to play in the Uefa Champions League may force Everton’s hand, although Chelsea are almost certain not to feature in Europe’s premier club competition next season, while United’s participation is far from confirmed.
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