Romelu Lukaku will finally complete his dream move to Stamford Bridge when he flies in to put the finishing touches to a deal that could end up costing Chelsea more than £20million.
The 18-year-old will have a medical and sign a five-year contract before flying back to link up with the national squad, who face Slovenia away on Wednesday.
Sportsmail understands Chelsea will pay Anderlecht an initial £13million, in two instalments, with up to £6m to follow in add-ons.
Big fan: Romelu Lukaku's visit with his school to Stamford Bridge last year
In addition, in an agreement struck between Lukaku and Anderlecht, they will pay his family £3.3m, 25 per cent of the initial outlay. It is understood they will also cover the cost of the agent’s fee.
It is a remarkable commitment for a front-runner described as the new Didier Drogba. Here’s an insight into what they will be getting for their money.
Dream move, indeed! They all say that, don’t they? Let me guess, Chelsea were his boyhood idols, right?
Spot on, actually. From an early age, he has wasted no time mapping out his ambitions. ‘Scoring goals was all that interested me, and as I got bigger and stronger, I realised I had similar qualities to Drogba,’ he said recently. ‘From then on, I always wanted to follow in his footsteps.’
Hot shot: Lukaku has been prolific
Still a bit premature to call him the new Drogba, isn’t it?
Possibly, but there are striking similarities, if you’ll pardon the pun. Height (6ft 3in) and build are on the same scale, and he hasn’t had to try too hard, it would appear. ‘I never lift weights,’ he said. ‘My physique is a gift from God.’
The comparisons extend even further. A strong, forceful runner, he revels in a lone central striking role and is at his best receiving the ball with his back to goal, so he can turn and cause havoc with his pace and finishing.
Fifteen goals from 25 league starts made him the youngest top-flight Golden Boot winner in Belgian history, at 16, and he followed up with another 16 last season. All that after he emerged from Anderlecht’s youth ranks with 121 goals from 88 appearances.
He doesn’t exactly hide his admiration for Drogba, does he?
You noticed. When a young fan gave him a questionnaire to fill in, at a recent sponsors’ event in the Flemish city of Hasselt, there was no hesitation over his answer to ‘What is your dream?’ With little regard for the reaction of Anderlecht fans, he scribbled: ‘To be a Chelsea player.’
A year or so earlier, on a school trip to London, he went on a stadium tour of Stamford Bridge and was photographed in a Chelsea shirt. But he did not get to speak to his hero.
Dream: Lukaku confessed to being a Chelsea fan while at Anderlecht
Has that been rectified?
Oh, yes. Drogba soon put matters right, as Lukaku recounted. ‘It was the day after my 17th birthday, and I was with Vincent Kompany on international duty. He was speaking to Drogba on his mobile phone, and suddenly passed it to me. We spoke for 20-30 minutes, and I asked Didier so many questions, about what he does in training and what it was like to play at Stamford Bridge.’
Andre Villas-Boas describes him as ‘an interesting prospect’, but Chelsea’s pursuit pre-dates their new manager, doesn’t it?
I’ll say. They first tried to sign him shortly before his 16th birthday, but his father insisted he complete his football and academic education in his homeland.
Sportsmail revealed in May how Chelsea were stepping up their interest and finally they have got their man.
