Man Utd Hijack Chelsea’s Move After Agreeing £75m Deal To Sign 26-Goal Striker

Managers are now pressing ahead with their plans for the summer transfer window so we’ll bring you all the latest news and gossip from around the globe. Today, Man Utd close-in on Romelu Lukaku….

Manchester United have hijacked Chelsea’s move for Romelu Lukaku after agreeing a £75m fee with Everton to sign the Belgian striker this summer, according to the BBC. 

Lukaku enhanced his reputation as one of the most prolific strikers in the Premier League after scoring 26 times for Everton last season and his future was thrown in doubt after he turned down the chance to sign a new deal at Goodison Park.

The 24-year-old attracted strong interest from Man Utd and Chelsea but it looked as though Lukaku was set for a return to Stamford Bridge as the Times [via the Liverpool Echo] reported last month that Chelsea were hoping to get a £70m deal agreed after opening talks with Everton.

It led to speculation that it was just a matter of time before Lukaku would re-join the Blues as Antonio Conte looked to bring in a new frontman having informed Diego Costa he wasn’t part of his plans for next season.

However, it appears there has been a dramatic twist as the BBC are one of several media outlets reporting today that Man Utd have hijacked Chelsea’s proposed move for Lukaku after ending their pursuit of Real Madrid’s Alvaro Morata.

The BBC claim that United have now agreed a fee in the region of £75m with Everton and are hoping to wrap-up the deal in time for Lukaku to fly-out with his new team mates on their pre-season tour of the USA on Sunday.

Jose Mourinho has been searching for a new striker after losing Zlatan Ibrahimovic and it looks as though the Portuguese coach has turned his attention back to Lukaku after failing to get a deal agreed for Morata.

A deal to sign the Belgian international now appears to be agreed and the BBC claim that talks for Lukaku are not connected to Everton’s attempts to re-sign Wayne Rooney.

It’s certainly a dramatic piece of news if these reports are accurate and it’s going to be interesting to see how Chelsea respond if United have agreed a fee with Everton. Will they match United’s offer or turn their attention to other targets?

READ MORE –> Chelsea transfer news | Man Utd transfer news

If Conte wants Lukaku badly enough the Premier League champions better move quickly as it looks like United are close to getting a deal wrapped-up and I think he’ll be an excellent addition at Old Trafford.