Chelsea gazumped? United in pole position to land Lukaku

Red Devils' £75million bid accepted for Everton striker

LONDON: Belgian international striker Romelu Lukaku is set to join Manchester United for a reported £75million ($97m, 85.5m euros), a record fee between British clubs, after the buying club announced Saturday they had reached agreement with Everton.

The 24-year-old's signing — which the BBC says includes £15m in add-ons — represents a coup for United and their manager Jose Mourinho whose former club Chelsea had earmarked him as their top striking target for the close season.

Going in the opposite direction could well be United and England record goal scorer Wayne Rooney, who according to press reports is willing to take a cut in his £13million a year wages to return to his first club, but with the promise of more first team football than at United last year.

However, the 31-year-old's move, if it takes place, is not part of the Lukaku deal, according to reports, and United are willing to let him go on a free transfer despite having a year left on his contract.

It brings Mourinho and Lukaku back together again as the Portuguese manager in his second spell as Chelsea manager had sold him to Everton in 2014 for £28million.

United said in a statement it was "delighted to announce a fee has been agreed with Everton for the transfer of Romelu Lukaku, subject to a medical & personal terms. A further announcement will be made in due course.”

Lukaku, who is reported to have been offered wages of over £200,000 a week by United, should have returned to England on Thursday for pre-season training with Everton but instead was pictured training with his close friend and the most expensive player in the world, United midfielder Paul Pogba, who he is on holiday with in Los Angeles.

United are due in Los Angeles this weekend for a pre-season tour.

According to British media reports the decisive factor in Lukaku's head being turned towards United and not a return to the club he idolised as a schoolboy Chelsea were Pogba and their agent Mino Raiola.

Raiola did extremely well out of United last year making an estimated £40m from Pogba's transfer from Juventus alone while stablemates Henrykh Mkhitaryan and Zlatan Ibrahimovic also joined the 'Red Devils'.

Chelsea reportedly baulked at paying Raiola's fee for Lukaku's transfer although they had made a similar offer for the player.

Ibrahimovic's long-term injury suffered in a Europa League match last season and the fading powers of Rooney have made the capture of a top striker imperative for Mourinho.

Apparent efforts to sign Real Madrid's Alvaro Morata came to nothing leading United to switch their attention to Lukaku. Ironically Chelsea may now need to beat a path to Real's door to try and secure Morata's services.