Source: Team_Talk
Lukaku arrives for Blues medical
Chelsea expect to wrap up the signing of Romelu Lukaku within the next 72 hours after the Anderlecht striker underwent a medical on Monday.[LNB] Lukaku has caught the eye of a number of Europe's top clubs after his free-scoring efforts for Anderlecht, but the Belgian has made it clear he is determined to move to Stamford Bridge.[LNB]That move came one step closer on Monday morning when the 18-year-old underwent a medical at the Blues' training ground in Cobham after the two clubs agreed a fee, thought to be between £15million and £20million, on Saturday night.[LNB]The Belgian 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 at London St Pancras station at 9am.[LNB]Lukaku is expected to return to Belgium to report for international duty before coming back to London on Thursday to finalise the deal following his country's home friendly against Slovenia.[LNB]Lukaku's power, pace and eye for goal have seen him compared with current Blues striker Didier Drogba.[LNB]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.[LNB]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.[LNB]Lukaku, whose father Roger played for Zaire in the 1990s, has won 10 caps for Belgium, scoring two goals.[LNB]If the deal is completed as expected, Lukaku could figure in Villas-Boas' plans for Sunday's League opener against[LNB]Stoke.[LNB]He will face tough competition for a place in the Blues starting line-up though, with Drogba, Fernando Torres, Salomon Kalou, Daniel Sturridge and Nicolas Anelka already vying for a place up front.[LNB]Villas-Boas has used all five players during the club's faultless pre-season campaign, with Sturridge providing the 33-year-old with a reminder of his skills by scoring a double in the Blues' win over Rangers at the weekend.[LNB]The England Under-21 international, who impressed while on loan at Bolton last year, still thinks he is some way off match sharpness following his return from this summer's European Championships, but hopes to persuade Villas-Boas to play him regularly this term after he returns from a three-match suspension.[LNB]"It has been a difficult pre season because after finishing playing in the European Under-21 Championships I didn't have much holiday before coming back in, but the manager has involved me a lot which I have been very happy with," Sturridge told Chelsea's website.[LNB]"I am just going to train very hard and once the ban ends, I hope I will be in the manager's plans."[LNB]Villas-Boas has used a variety of players and formations during the club's pre-season campaign, leading goalkeeper Petr Cech to admit he has no idea how the new Chelsea boss will line up his team in Sunday's game at the Britannia Stadium.[LNB]"I think it's fair to say that each player was given more or less the same amount of time to impress, but it's hard to say who will be in the starting line-up against Stoke," Cech told his official website.[LNB]"Looking at who started on Saturday you cannot tell and the coaches still have this week to pick the best 11 players.[LNB]"We are glad to have won the last friendly too. In pre-season we won all fixtures and that is good for our psyche."
