Manchester United agree £75m Lukaku deal

• As Everton expect Chelsea to hijack bid

Everton expect Chelsea to aggressively challenge Manchester
United for the signature of Romelu Lukaku despite Jose Mourinho’s personal
intervention this week putting them in pole position to sign him.

While there has not yet been an official bid from United –
explaining some of the apparent contradictions in information over the last 24
hours as to whether any offer was accepted – there have indeed been positive
discussions between Everton and the Manchester club that were also connected to
Wayne Rooney’s pending return to Goodison Park, meaning it is believed that
£75m could be enough to seal the deal.

According to Independent, Lukaku himself is willing to go to
United and team up with former Chelsea boss Mourinho despite having previously
looked set to return to Stamford Bridge. Those close to the situation now
consider it likely he will end up at Old Trafford.

The Old Trafford hierarchy had made initial enquiries for
the striker in the wake of top target Antoine Griezmann’s decision to remain at
Atletico Madrid back at the beginning of June, only to be told that there had
been significant progress in an anticipated move back to Chelsea.

The stalling of that, in what has been a somewhat
frustrating summer transfer window for the Premier League champions so far – as
well as Real Madrid’s refusal to budge on their €90m asking price for United
target Alvaro Morata – saw the Manchester club sense an opportunity to pounce.

It quickly became apparent that both the Toffees and Lukaku
would be willing to do business, in a move that will likely net him upwards of
£200,000 a week in wages.

Those close to Chelsea, however, maintain that no deal is
done and there could yet be a response – and a high bid – that could swing the
situation again, but it would currently take something significant to dislodge
United.

The move comes as Mourinho himself is said to have taken a
more hands-on role in transfers in his determination to get business done.

He is understood to have no real preference over whether it
is Morata or Lukaku, although there would obviously be a certain satisfaction
in trumping his former club to a big deal.

United sources have also said a Lukaku move would kill any
deal for Morata, but others at Old Trafford and close to Real Madrid maintain
that would not be the case, and Mourinho would actually still like to bring in
two forwards.

A further twist to an already complicated situation,
however, is that Lukaku going to United could see Chelsea finally turn to
Morata again after initially cooling their interest.