Source: Daily_Mail
Chelsea bid for Romelu Lukaku
Chelsea have lodged a bid to land teenage sensation Romelu Lukaku.[LNB] As revealed by Sportsmail on Saturday, the Blues are deep in discussions over the ?18million-rated striker. It has now emerged that Chelsea have made an official offer to prise the 18-year-old away from Anderlecht. [LNB]Chelsea held talks with Anderlecht's top administrator last week over the deal and general manager Herman van Holsbeeck flew to London to try to agree a fee. [LNB] The new Drogba? Anderlecht and Belgium teenager Romelu Lukaku is wanted at Chelsea[LNB]Lukaku - tipped to become the next Didier Drogba - has already underlined his eagerness to play for his boyhood idols, who are now managed by Andre Villas-Boas. [LNB]Worryingly for the Stamford Bridge side, their former manager Jose Mourinho is a known admirer of Lukaku and may still launch a late bid to lure him to Real Madrid. Mourinho is trying to recruit as many as three forwards and could yet emerge as Chelsea's rivals for the Belgium forward. [LNB]Last month Lukaku filled in a questionnaire for a young fan, at a sponsor's event in the Flemish city Hasselt, and wrote that his dream was to be a Chelsea player. Now he appears to be on the verge of fulfilling his lifelong ambition, even if the Londoners face an anxious wait to discover whether they are successful. [LNB] Stiff competition: Fernando Torres is just one of several top-class strikers already on Chelsea's books[LNB] Lukaku would join Drogba, Fernando Torres, Nicolas Anelka, Salomon Kalou and Daniel Sturridge in the striking ranks at the Bridge.[LNB]Anelka has, however, vowed to fight for his place under new manager Andre Villas-Boas. With England Under 21 striker Sturridge back from an impressive loan spell at Bolton, Torres insisting he is ready to justify his ?50m price-tag and evergreen Drogba ready to go again - plus the possible arrival of Lukaku - there had been suggestions 32-year-old Anelka would be ready to leave and move to Major League Soccer in the United States. [LNB] However, the France striker, who broke through as a teenager at Arsenal in 1997/98, insists he still has plenty to offer as Chelsea prepare for their friendly against a Malaysia XI at the sold-out 84,000 Bukit Jalil National Stadium. [LNB] The old Drogba: Lukaku's arrival would also put pressure on veteran Ivory Coast striker Didier (right) [LNB]'I am still here and still very pleased to be with Chelsea. I like a challenge,' Anelka said. 'It is all part of the game and when you play at a club like Chelsea you have to be ready to meet the challenge from wherever it comes. [LNB]'Every single member of this squad will have to fight to play and I am ready to fight." Anelka welcomes the healthy competition and believes Torres, who took time to settle following his big-money January move from Liverpool, will come good.[LNB]'The problem last season was that Fernando was a new player and it is difficult when you come from another team and then play in a style you are not used to,' he said. 'Now he is getting used to how we perform he has scored one goal in pre-season already. [LNB] Fighting talk: Nicolas Anelka (second left) has vowed to fight for his place under new boss Andre Villas-Boas[LNB]'Fernando looked sharp and I think everything will be okay for him.'[LNB] Sturridge, meanwhile, is determined to make an impression on the new Blues manager, having netted eight league goals in 12 appearances for Bolton. [LNB]'I'm here training in pre-season and looking forward to the start of the new season, where I can show everybody what I am capable of doing,' he said. 'It is the same in every team around the world. Every striker has got to fight for their place and it is no different here. [LNB]'It doesn't matter whether you are a star or not a star, you have to show the manager what you are capable of doing. Every season is a new season. [LNB]'The past is the past, in my opinion, so everyone has got to fight for their place.' [LNB] CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE FANTASY FOOTBALL GAMEOn tour with Chelsea... Take That Terry! Malaysia remember famous win over BluesVillas-Boas' training secrets revealed! (Well, some of them...)All the latest Chelsea FC news, features and opinion[LNB] [LNB]
