Lukaku on brink of €115m Chelsea switch

Five-year contract would be worth around €250,000 a week

LONDON CALLING: Romelu Lukaku is set to return to Chelsea.

Chelsea are close to agreeing a deal to bring Romelu Lukaku back to Stamford Bridge from Inter Milan for a fee in the region of €115m, say fresh reports.

The Belgian striker was not prepared to agitate for a move from Inter but made it clear to the club's hierarchy he wanted to join Thomas Tuchel’s European champions this summer.

Inter are now on the brink of accepting Chelsea's latest offer, with reports indicating a five-year contract worth around €250,000 a week.

Meanwhile, Ronald Koeman has described Lionel Messi's Barcelona departure as "still hard to understand" as the Nou Camp club prepare to officially bid farewell to the superstar on Sunday.

It was announced Thursday the six-time Ballon d'Or winner would not sign a new contract with his boyhood club, with president Joan Laporta saying a day later that the former regime at Barca in addition to LaLiga spending rules had thwarted any hopes of the Argentinian staying in Catalonia.

Messi, who has been heavily linked with a move to Paris St Germain, had been set to remain at the Nou Camp but is now a free agent and the 34-year-old will hold a press conference on Sunday at 11am BST.

Reflecting on the shock news that Messi will be leaving, Barca boss Koeman said on Twitter: "Still hard to understand that you will not play for FC Barcelona anymore. Thanks for everything you have done for our club Leo. I really enjoyed the full season we worked together.

"I am impressed with your work ethic and desire to win. It makes you the best player in the world."

OFF YOUR FEET: Manchester United's Paul Pogba and Everton's Tom Davies battle for possession during Saturday's pre-season friendly at Old Trafford. 

*Manchester United have thumped Everton 4-0 in a pre-season friendly on Saturday. 

Harry Maguire and Bruno Fernandes scored first-half goals to put Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men in the driving seat after Mason Greenwood's opener.

Bruno's strike, his first in front of the home fans since February 2020, had the crowd of 55,000 on their feet as he whipped an unstoppable free-kick beyond Jordan Pickford.

Diogo Dalot stooped to nod in Fred's low cross in stoppage time for a fourth.