Chelsea may have to pay £100 million for Premier League striker
Chelsea desperately want to bring back Romelu Lukaku
It’s clear that Chelsea are in the market for strikers to replace Diego Costa this summer. One of the Blues top targets is Romelu Lukaku. If Antonio Conte wants to bring the talented forward back to Stamford Bridge, Everton must make him pay dearly for the privilege.
Reports from England claim that Conte has already asked the Chelsea board (aka Roman Abramovich) to sanction a £70 million move for the prolific Belgian goal scorer. That figure might sound a tad outrageous, but it may actually be less money than Chelsea receives from a Costa sale. Remember, Costa is ticketed to move to China which should net the Blues an outrageous transfer fee.
The reality is that Everton shouldn’t let Lukaku go at that price. He’s an immensely talented footballer whose best years are still ahead of him. Lukaku is the exact sort of player that Ronald Koeman should be building his Everton squad around.
Of course, there are financial realities for the Merseyside club to consider. Chelsea have the financial resources to pay a club-changing fee for Lukaku. It’s Everton’s responsibility to make sure the Blues are forced to pay through the nose for Lukaku.
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To that end, I’d suggest the Toffees aim for a £100 million fee from Abramovich and company. That sum might shock some of you, but let’s put it into context. Lukaku is a proven Premier League goal scorer who is still only 23-years-old. Despite his youth, he’s already knocked in 16 league goals for a club that isn’t exactly blessed with a wealth of other world-class attackers.
Think about it. Is his situation so much different from Gareth Bale departing Tottenham for Real Madrid? If anything, Everton should be demanding a premium to allow Lukaku to leave for another Premier League club. At least Spurs aren’t forced to play against Bale on a minimum of two occasions every season.
Everton also possesses a great deal of leverage in these negotiations. They inked Lukaku to a new deal last summer so they’re under no pressure to sell. The hold all of the cards in this transfer battle. The Toffees need to play every ace and trump to make their Premier League rivals spend till it hurts.
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If Everton are going to allow Romelu Lukaku to leave for Chelsea, the shouldn’t accept anything less than £100 million. The combination of his talent and their leverage makes that a perfectly legitimate asking price.