Chelsea, Everton 'very close' on Atsu deal - report

Now that the Romelu Lukaku to Everton deal is done, we can get to the real business of summer: finding out just where Ghana winger Christian Atsu might wind up on loan. As it turns out, it'll probably be to the same place.

#Everton's loan deal for Ghana & Chelsea winger Christian Atsu is not done yet but I'm told it's "very close". #EFC #CFC

— Greg O'Keeffe (@GregOK) August 1, 2014

Greg O'Keeffe, by the way, is the Everton correspondent for the Liverpool Echo, so he's the sort of person who'd know about the deal. Atsu makes a great deal of sense for the Toffees as a replacement for Gerard Deulofeu -- he's an exciting young winger who can beat his direct opponent and then cause havoc -- and although I'm not sure he'd be a first choice player at Goodison Park he'd certainly get some time there.

Atsu's stock is up in a big way thanks to a good year at Vitesse and then some excellent performances at the World Cup, and a Premier League loan represents a chance for him to really show off what he can do. I'd be a little concerned about him being picked off next season thanks to the influence of Roberto Martinez and Lukaku, but if Chelsea are comfortable with that risk, we can live with it.