Chelsea striker is rivals "Number One" transfer target!

If reports are to be believed, Everton Manager Roberto Martinez has made Romelu Lukaku his number one transfer target this summer. It will be interesting to see if Chelsea will sell!

Romelu Lukaku is a player that will always divide opinion. Some love him, some are not so sure and if you had watched him during the World Cup for the first time, you wouldn't have been that impressed.

It will be interesting to see (now that Jose Mourinho has confirmed that there will be no more spending by Chelsea in this transfer window and that his squad is complete) where Lukaku fits into the managers plans this season.

Could Lukaku be given a chance at Chelsea? Would he accept playing second or even third fiddle behind Diego Costa? Will he personally feel that after two successful loan spells in the Premier League, he deserves a regular start now? Or, does the manager believe that he isn't up to the level of expectation and will decide to let him go?

I guess for Chelsea fans it's a frustrating and difficult situation watching him perform for West Brom and again for Everton when we have seen our strikers struggle. Football is all about confidence and Lukaku had had that over the last two seasons because he knew he would start week in, week out if he was fully fit.

This time last season, during the pre season tour of the far east, Lukaku was playing well and scoring goals and it looked like he would finally be given a chance here. Then, the UEFA Super Cup final, the penalty miss and next thing we know he is off out on loan again.

Reports surfaced that there had been a falling out with the manager and those reports indicated that he had asked for a permanent transfer away from Chelsea. A compromise followed and he was allowed to move out on loan.

So to this season and this pre season in particular. As with those players who played in the World Cup past the group stages, they are being given additional time to rest and relax before they link up with the rest of the squad on their European Tour. Will Lukaku still be at Chelsea by then?

So to Everton and the fact that it has become clear they want the big Belgian striker. Can they afford the asking price? I am not so sure!

To me looking in from the outside, Bill Kenwright has always ran the club on a tight budget and I cannot see him agreeing to pay a ridiculous amount of money to Chelsea for Lukaku. You would imagine Chelsea would want at least £20m for the big man and I really do not believe Everton would be willing to part with that amount of money. I just can't see it!

Do we think that Chelsea would decide to cut their loses on Lukaku and would be willing to negotiate a cheaper deal with Everton or anyone else for that matter? With reports that there are others interested such as Juventus (Loan), Liverpool and Tottenham, could Chelsea just simply reject Everton's interest and look for the biggest fee they could recoup now we have to survive in the world of FFP?

Having played a full season there, you would have to imagine that Lukaku would jump at the chance to sign on a permanent deal with Everton because he would know that he would have a regular first team start every week. Would he get that at Liverpool, Tottenham or Juventus? I wonder.

The whole situation with Lukaku is an interesting one. No one can honestly say that they really know what is going to happen apart from the manager. Will Lukaku be given a chance at Chelsea this season or does it look increasingly like the big man is about to be sold?

Watch this space!