Soccer:ANDERLECHT have confirmed for the first time they and Chelsea are in discussions over Romelu Lukaku moving to Stamford Bridge.
And the transfer could involve Kevin De Bruyne joining the Brussels club on loan, with the midfielder admitting he was keen to leave Genk for the Blues and be farmed back out to his native Belgium.
Lukaku, 18, has long been linked with Chelsea, who he has confessed to support. Rumours have been rife that Anderlecht general manager Herman van Holsbeeck had visited London to thrash out a deal with the Premier League club.
And he has now confirmed that he has been in talks with them, in addition to other clubs, amid reports Arsenal, Manchester City and Tottenham are also interested in the teenager.
Van Holsbeeck said: “There is still a long way to go in the negotiations. We are indeed negotiating with Chelsea, but there are other clubs we are talking to.”
Van Holsbeeck refused to put a timescale on any deal, saying: “It could happen in the next half hour, it could take until August 31st – that is football.”
Lukaku’s Belgium team-mate De Bruyne could be used as a makeweight in any deal, with the 19-year-old midfielder prepared to join Anderlecht on loan.
Chelsea are continuing to make moves in the transfer market, despite having been without a manager for almost a month. Wednesday saw them have a reported €25 million bid rejected for Tottenham midfielder Luka Modric.
The Blues’ managerial vacancy could soon be filled, with Turkey boss Guus Hiddink reportedly set to return to Stamford Bridge if a compensation package with his current employers can be agreed.
Meanwhile, Newcastle have signed Senegal striker Demba Ba on a three-year contract.
The arrival of the 26-year-old old, who scored seven times in 13 appearances for West Ham during the second half of last season, came just a day after Magpies skipper Kevin Nolan headed for Upton Park in a deal believed to be worth approximately €4.5 million.
Manchester City coach Attilio Lombardo has indicated that work is under way to try and bring in Udinese winger Alexis Sanchez.
The Chile international is attracting interest from other European heavyweights such as Barcelona, Juventus, Inter Milan and Manchester United.
Udinese say five offers have been lodged and Lombardo is aware of the amount of competition City would face to secure the services of the 22-year-old.
However, Lombardo is hopeful of landing a player that he believes would have a huge impact at Eastlands.
"He is an excellent player for any big club in Europe," Lombardo told Il Friuli. "He is a very fast player, a great champion, with a great personality and touch of the ball."
