Romelu Lukaku to Chelsea is not in any doubts, Lukaku to Chelsea is almost 100% finished and completed.
Reports were initially that Lukaku would be having his Chelsea medical either on Sunday or Monday. Many reliable sources have since confirmed that Lukaku completed most/part of his medical in Milan on Monday.
He was seen leaving the medical centre in Milan, and it looked like he was clutching a Chelsea shirt.
After this he was pictured leaving Milan to get on a Private jet to London, via a meeting stop with his agent in Monaco last night. He will arrive in London today.
The deal is done, it will just now be waiting for Chelsea to complete media images and videos, complete what is left of any medicals/signings, and announce him.
I was told on Monday morning Chelsea staff were told to prepare for his announcement late on Friday. This doesn’t mean the announcement was imminent, it meant that they were getting it all ready to put out. So once his medicals were done and the photoshoot/video etc, then they would have the official correspondence ready to go. Once I got told this, I knew it would be done and it would be early this week all things well.
Chelsea will need to get Lukaku signed on by Tuesday evening before 11pm if they are to get him at least on the bench for the Super Cup final on Wednesday evening. However, it has become apparent that they are unlikely to be pushing to do this, but they do instead want Lukaku to be there in Ireland with the squad but perhaps not in a playing capacity.
Whether that is possible now with the slight delay, we are unsure at this point.
However, the medical (at least the main part of it) was completed today (Monday), so we are well and truly at the end game now as we await details of him flying into London from Monaco to tie up the very final details.
I’m quietly confident we will see an announcement on Tuesday this week.
Simon Phillips