Chelsea close to signing Anderlecht star striker http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Romelu-Lukaku-c31672, as Didier Drogba nears Stamford Bridge exit
English Premier League outfit Chelsea are reportedly close to signing Romelu Lukaku, the 19-year-old Belgium striker.
The London side has already held talks with the player and his representatives and it is believed that it’s only a matter of days before the deal is finalized.
Chelsea have been keeping a close eye on the youngster for a while now and have decided to finally bring him to Stamford Bridge this summer.
The 19-year-old has earned comparisons to Chelsea hit-man http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Didier-Drogba-c11044 due to his impressive displays for club and country.
During his time with the Anderlecht http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/U-17-Youth-team-c40787, Lukaku scored 131 goals in 93 games in three seasons, making one of the best players to graduate to the senior squad.
Lukaku made his senior debut for Anderlecht in 2009 and has gone on to make 71 appearances in the domestic league, scoring 31 goals.
His debut for the http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Belgium-c2850 senior squad came just a year later in 2010 and he has made nine appearances since then, finding the back of the net twice.
The Blues have stepped up their efforts, encouraged by the player’s recent claims of wanting to play for the London side.
He has been linked with other European sides, with the likes of Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Real-c30728 Madrid and AC Milan to name a few.
However, the youngster seems to have made up his mind about a transfer to Chelsea, where he will most likely be replacing Drogba.
The Ivory Coast striker could be making a Stamford Bridge exit in the summer, with reports suggesting he had handed in a transfer request.
Despite signing http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Fernando-Torres-c13707 in the January transfer window, Chelsea were planning to retain Drogba until the end of his career.
The 33-year-old is in terrific form but after another season or two will most likely be retiring, which is why the Blues decided to keep him.
The recent news of his transfer request could, however, force Chelsea to change their plans regarding the Ivorian and new signings.
With Drogba leaving, the Blues will have to bring in at least another striker, in case Torres continues his misfiring form.
Whoever takes over the manager’s post at Stamford Bridge will not want to feature an 18-year-old as the main striker.
The 27-year-old Torres will undoubtedly be given preference, no matter how terrible his form is, which is why http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Chelsea-c38786 should try and retain Drogba for another season or two.
The new deal Chelsea were reportedly planning to offer to Drogba was going to make him one of the highest paid players in the English Premier League.
Having already spent seven seasons at the London club, an exit now would not settle well with the rest of the players or the supporters.
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