Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers is in advanced talks with Chelsea over striker Romelu Lukaku as the Northern Irishman looks to start spending the £75 million he will receive from the sale of Luis Suarez to Barcelona.
Football website Caughtoffside is reporting that Liverpool have earmarked a move for the Chelsea striker with Rodgers hoping that his relationship with the club and its manager Jose Mourinho will assist him to sign the 21-year-old Belgium international for around £26 million.
After having been sent out on loan for the past two seasons, and the arrival of Diego Costa at Stamford Bridge Lukaku does not appear to be a part of Mourinho’s plans, and the Reds boss is hoping his policy of signing young players will pay off and that Lukaku can help fill the void left by the departure of Suarez.
Lukaku doesn’t appear to figure in Mourinho’s long term plans and having been loaned out over the past two campaigns it’s likely that Chelsea will look to cash-in on the forward this summer with the west London club having brought in Diego Costa from Atletico Madrid.
Working in Rodgers favour is the fact that Mourinho does not mind selling players that do not fit in with his plans, and also the fact he does not care if they go to Premiership rivals just so long as he gets the cash to boost his spending power.
Liverpool could also benefit from the young Belgium’s rather sedate showing at the World Cup, but could face competition from both Borussia Dortmund and Tottenham.
