Chelsea have warned Everton that their next bid for striker Romelu Lukaku will be their last, according to reports from The Times.
Lukaku, who was a player that Chelsea initially had from 2011-2014, first featured for Everton during a season-long loan spell at the beginning of 2013 season and then would eventually be sold to the Toffees for a fee of £28 million in the summer of 2014.
The striker would go on and help Everton to a fifth place finish while finding the net 15 times in 31 league games during the 2013 loan spell, but it was last season where the Belgian really shined by striking 25 times in all competitions for his Merseyside club.
Chelsea now appears to have seller’s remorse as they attempt to bolster their strike force with the rumors circulating that their current first-choice striker Diego Costa may be heading to the exit door.
If Costa walks Everton will certainly have the upper hand and can call the bluff on Chelsea’s supposedly last bid for their former Belgian striker that they never really gave much of a chance.
The latest asking price for Lukaku is a steep one and is being reported to be around the £70 million mark, but the 23-year-old’s strength and potential will be something the west London club will desperately need if Costa leaves.