Chelsea could have a deal in place for Anderlecht star Romelu Lukaku by early next week.
The Guardian says Anderlecht had originally envisaged raising around £20m through Lukaku's sale, a fee Chelsea would be reluctant to meet for an 18-year-old with only two years of regular senior football behind him. Yet the Belgian club are expected to accept less up front for the striker, with further fees to be determined by honours and appearances, with Chelsea's interest the most advanced for his services. The player himself apparently accepts he may have to begin life at a new club in a bit-part role from the substitutes' bench.
Asked if his future was likely to be settled next week, Lukaku said: "That could be so, yes. It is going to be one of the top two or three clubs in England, or else I stay at Anderlecht. I want to leave because I want to score goals in stadia full of 50,000 people, and to play in the Champions League.
"If I go to a top club, in the beginning I know I will be on the bench, sometimes playing 10 or 15 minutes. That will be it at the start. But my goal is that, in those 15 minutes, I will grab my chance and do better every time so that, by the end of the season when it gets really important, and there are a lot of games, I will be ready."
