'Only £67m': Everton brace for third Chelsea bid, hold out for record fee for Romelu Lukaku — reports

Kevin Gameiro's big-money transfer from Sevilla to Atlético Madrid was supposed to calm down the market and the rumors surrounding Chelsea's striker situation.  Instead, it's done the exact opposite.  Diego Costa vs. Antonio Conte is now a thing, and the once dormant Romelu Lukaku rumors have been revived as well.

Il Chelsea ha offerto 80 milioni all'Everton per Lukaku, una follia: adesso Conte frequenta ristoranti stellati.

— Ivan Zazzaroni (@zazzatweet) July 31, 2016

Chelsea sold Lukaku to Everton two years ago for a cool £28m, but if we want him back, we're going to have to pay over twice as much to get him.  After seeing bids of £57m and £60m supposedly rejected, Chelsea's new offer will be £67m.  All three would be a club record, while the £67m, or roughly €80m would make Lukaku the 7th most expensive transfer of all time, just ahead of his compatriot and former Chelsea teammate, Kevin De Bruyne (€75m).

Oh...

That odd and mildly annoying situation aside, getting Lukaku back would certainly make a few waves, regardless of what happens with Diego Costa.  That said, blowing over £100m on two strikers this summer seems like a suboptimal way to spend our funds, given the extreme needs in defense.