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Hot Football Transfer Gossip: Chelsea ‘make £57m Lukaku bid’, Arsenal ‘increase Lacazette offer’

Chelsea and Romelu Lukaku have had a funny relationship. First they bought him, then they loaned him out so he could get some experience, then when he got the experience they sold him, then it seemed he wanted to come back, and it seemed like they wanted him back, but then they signed his Belgium international team-mate Michy Batshuayi instead and that was that. But no, according to the Daily Mirror that wasn’t that.

The tabloid reports that Chelsea have offered Everton £57m for Lukaku, despite the fact they already have Batshauyi and Diego Costa and that they sold Lukaku for half that amount just two years ago.

And if that wasn’t jarring enough for Roman Abramovich, he’s also had to suffer the indignity of having that bid rejected. The Toffees apparently want £75m, which is understandable in the week when Gonzalo Higuain cost about that amount.

Whether Chelsea want to pay £75m on a player they don’t especially need, making a £47m loss in the process, is debatable. But if they do, then it will be a brave man who puts Loic Remy in his fantasy team this season.

If Chelsea think they need more firepower, they should try being Arsenal, who look set to start the season with just Chuba Akpom, Joel Campbell and Theo Walcott in their attack. That’s why they are keen on Lyon’s Alexandre Lacazette, who the Telegraph says will be the subject of an improved Gunners bid totalling £35m.

Arsene Wenger also wants to buy some defenders, including £16.9m rated Torino full-back Bruno Peres (Gazzetta dello Sport) and Valencia’s German centre-back Shkordan Mustafi, who has a rather high-sounding £42.1m release clause in his contract (Sky Sports).

That’s roughly the amount that Manchester City are apparently willing to pay for John Stones, with the Guardian saying that the Sky Blues are “reluctant” to meet Everton’s £50m asking price and would “prefer” to pay £40m. They would probably have preferred to pay £20m for Raheem Sterling and £5m for Eliaquim Mangala as well, but they didn’t.

In fact the Toffees are so confident that City will cave in that they have already started making plans to replace Stones, with Swansea’s Ashley Williams reportedly a £10m target (Mirror), although that story about them bidding £14m for Sunderland’s Lamine Kone was apparently poppycock (Sunderland Echo).

Elsewhere, Newcastle have had a £10m bid for Brighton’s Anthony Knockaert rejected (Newcastle Chronicle), West Ham’s £7m offer for Hull left-back Andrew Robertson has been turned down (Sky Sports) and Saido Berahino may decide to stay at West Brom for another year and then leave for a “European” club next season on a free transfer (ESPN). He’s probably thinking Barcelona.

@darlingkevin