Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United are on the brink of completing a deal for Everton striker Romelu Lukaku – to leave Chelsea fuming.
Man Utd have beaten competition from Chelsea to agree in principle with Everton over a £75m transfer fee for Romelu Lukaku.
Meanwhile, Chelsea have accentuated that they are still in the race to rope in Lukaku, but sources reveal that the 24-year-old striker is all set to undergo his Man Utd medical in the U.S, with the Red Devils hierarchy hopeful of completing the deal in time for the Belgian star to join the United squad as they start training in LA on Monday.
After losing out on Antoine Griezmann this summer, the Red Devils were chasing Real Madrid forward Alvaro Morata and Everton contract rebel Romelu Lukaku as Jose Mourinho is in desperate search of a new striker.
Manchester United suffered a huge blow in their Alvaro Morata pursuit as Real Madrid rejected their improved bid of around €80m (£71m) for the Spanish striker.
But now Manchester United have agreed a transfer deal with Everton for their Belgian striker Lukaku and will not now be pursuing their interest in Real Madrid’s Alvaro Morata.
Earlier, last month Real Madrid have turned down United’s initial £52million bid for Alvaro Morata, and it is believed that they are holding out for an offer in the region of £80m for the Spanish striker, who was not a regular figure in the first-team last season.
Man Utd launched an improved offer of around €80m (£71m) for securing the signatures of the Spanish forward but the Los Blancos have now rejected the bid as they want to make a huge profit on Morata.
FootTheBall has now learned that the Real Madrid hierarchy are now holding out for an offer of €90m (£79m) for the Spanish striker.
But the Manchester United bosses decided against going any further with the Morata deal and instead they have now reached an agreement with Everton for Lukaku, who was keen on returning to Champions League football.
Lukaku had been heavily linked with a Stamford Bridge return this summer but Man Utd stealthily hijacked Chelsea’s move for the Belgian forward by using their world record signing Paul Pogba, who convinced his best pal to join him at Old Trafford.
Best friends Lukaku and Pogba have been holidaying together on the west coast of America and sources reveal that both of them would join Jose Mourinho’s squad in Los Angeles on Sunday.
Close friends Lukaku and Pogba have been holidaying together on the west coast of America and both are expected to join up with Jose Mourinho’s squad in Los Angeles on Sunday.
Pogba has played a pivotal role in persuading Lukaku, who will complete his medical in the US today – to block his return to Chelsea and instead pair up with him and Mourinho at Man Utd.
United’s smart move to hijack Lukaku has not gone down well with Chelsea, who were confident of roping in their former player this summer.
But Red Devils boss Mourinho and executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward had been negotiating a move for Lukaku over the past few months and have finally sealed the deal.
And sources reveal that Lukaku has been offered a four-year deal with an additional option of extending the contract by a year, with the Belgian set to take home a wage packet of £250,000-a-week.
It is beleived that Manchester United capitalised upon Wayne Rooney’s Everton return to reach an agreement with Everon over the transfer fee for Romelu Lukaku.
Wayne Rooney is set for a sensational return to Everton by the end of this week.
It is understood that Man Utd would allow Rooney to leave on a free transfer.
FootTheBall sources confirm that Everton will match his existing £250,000-a-week wage packet on a two-year deal, with an additional option of extending the contract by a year.