COMMENT: Hang on, hang on. 60-odd million for Alvaro Morata? Almost £42 million lodged for Edinson Cavani? Are we missing something here?
Why all the faffing about? Romelu Lukaku has declared - wide openly - that he's ready to leave Everton. Returning to Chelsea is an option he would jump at. And if Antonio Conte is wiling to sanction £65 million to ferry Morata away from Real Madrid, then why not slap the same wedge on Farhad Moshiri's desk to convince him to sell Rom?
Lukaku and Morata are the same age. Granted, Morata has achieved a bit more in the game, thanks to his time with Juventus. But pound-for-pound the Belgian is the better bet. We can talk about Rom's greater power. His pace. His sharper feet. But there's also the glaring fact that Chelsea will know what they're getting.
There'll be no need for a bedding down period. Adjusting to a new city. A new culture. All Chelsea will be doing is rediscovering a far, far better player than the one they sold two years ago. That fee back in 2014 was £28 million - a record for Everton. Now Moshiri, the Toffees' new owner, is seeking £65-75 million to sell. Can any Blues fan, either from Chelsea or Everton, argue against Lukaku being at least twice the player he is today when compared two years ago?
At today's prices it's a good deal. And given Lukaku's development it also makes sense. Why the delays? Why explore other options?
Morata is a great talent, no question. And unlike Lukaku, Conte knows all about the Spaniard thanks to their time together at Juve. But Morata - for now - doesn't have a record of absolutely dominating games the way Lukaku has in an Everton shirt. At times last season, he was unstoppable. Awesome. The complete centre-forward. And he doesn't turn 24 until next May.
The one doubt perhaps is Lukaku's reputation of being a 'flat track bully'. And this could be reason for the reluctance inside Cobham. He only showed up last season against teams fit for a roasting. When the big games came along, he invariably went missing. Which is something you could never accuse Morata of. He may never have taken a game by the scruff of the neck the way Lukaku has, but the Madridista does boast a record of turning up in games that matter - scoring home and away last year against Real springs to mind.
But they leveled the same accusation at Cristiano Ronaldo. Not just as a Manchester United player, but also with Real. However, with maturity those doubts eventually were put to the sword. There's nothing in Lukaku's game which suggests he can't do the same.
In the end, the choice could be taken away from Conte and Roman Abramovich.
Florentino Perez, the Real president, doesn't want Morata sold. He likes the idea of a local lad leading the line. It was he, not coach Zinedine Zidane, who drove the decision to trigger the buy-back clause in Morata's Juve deal. Zizou prefers Karim Benzema, but as he's discovered regarding Martin Odegaard's presence on their Montreal trip, the president always gets his way.
But the debate shouldn't exist. The best option for Conte and Chelsea is re-signing Lukaku. And if the price is a concern for Abramovich - is it really so fanciful to suggest they could sell him for a profit at 27 years of age in four years time?
After all the problems with Radja Nainggolan and Roma. Leonardo Bonucci and Juventus. This one is easy. Like N'Golo Kante, Lukaku wants the move to happen. There's no need to consider alternatives. Lukaku and Chelsea is a deal that should be done.
INJURY TIME
A new set of eyes and potentially a new role for Ruben Loftus-Cheek this season.
Antonio Conte spoke enthusiastically last week about Loftus-Cheek having the potential to carve out a career as a striker in the game. Which would be some transformation for a player tipped to be a holding midfielder in the guise of Claude Makelele.
But this is often what you get when someone from outside is given the chance to look over young talent. Conte and his staff have seen something in Loftus-Cheek's game that other coaches, whether it be with Chelsea or England, have missed.
And the Italian's comments should be a fillip for every young Blue connected to Cobham (the loan departures have already begun). Conte is thinking about his young players. Studying their game. How best they can be utilised. The Loftus-Cheek observation would not have been made if he wasn't front of mind for the manager.
