Anderlecht striker Romelu Lukaku arrived at Chelsea on Monday to undergo a medical and thrash out personal terms as the Belgian international edged closer to a move to Stamford Bridge.
GettyImagesRomelu Lukaku is set to become Chelsea’s third summer signing
• Chelsea agree Lukaku fee
• Oriol Romeu focused on Blues
• Zhirkov returns to Russia
The Blues have already agreed a fee with Anderlecht, reported to be £18 million, for the transfer of Lukaku and the deal is expected to be completed in the next 72 hours.
Lukaka, 18, would only say he thought Andre Villas-Boas was a “very good manager” when bombarded with questions by the waiting media as he stepped off his Eurostar train from Brussels at London St Pancras station.
He is expected to return to Belgium to report for international duty on Tuesday before coming back to London on Thursday to finalise the deal following his country’s home friendly against Slovenia.
Lukaku’s power, pace and eye for goal have seen him compared with current Blues striker Didier Drogba.
His record at the Belgian club is impressive. He made his first-team debut at Anderlecht when he was 16 and has averaged almost a goal every two games in the Jupiler League.
His goals helped Anderlecht win the Belgian title in 2010 and he scored three times in the Champions League qualifying round last season, although the team went out before the group stage.
Lukaku, whose father Roger played for Zaire in the 1990s, has won 10 caps for
Belgium, scoring two goals.
If the deal is completed as expected, Lukaku could figure in Villas-Boas’ plans
for Sunday’s Premier League opener against Stoke City.