Romelu Lukaku considers handing-in transfer request to push for Chelsea switch - report

In the summer transfer window of 2015, Chelsea got tangled in a transfer saga for a highly rated youngster from Everton. The player, John Stones in this case, even went as far as to hand-in a transfer request, but it was to no avail.  Stones ultimately stayed at Goodison Park, and we had to settle for Papy Djilobodji instead.

Now, Chelsea might be going down the same rabbit role for another Evertonian. According to the London Evening Standard, former Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku is considering handing-in a transfer request, as he pushes for the next step in his career.

Everton's Romelu Lukaku is considering handing in transfer request to force Chelsea return | by @sjstandardsport https://t.co/KYcpqZhAPd

— Standard Sport (@standardsport) August 2, 2016

Everton are holding out for £75 million for Lukaku, while Chelsea are willing to offer up to "only" £67 million, and don't want to be held in ransom on their pursuit. Chelsea also want the transfer to be completed before the first match of the new season, against West Ham on August 15.

The rumoured fees for Lukaku are ludicrous at this point, but they are the result of an already inflated market paying an extra premium for talented homegrown players.  The size of the fee could of course be attenuated by any transfer fee received in return for the sale of Diego Costa (and/or Loïc Rémy).

There's a good chance that neither Chelsea's ultimatums nor Lukaku's efforts will do any good as far as lowering the fee goes, and will only create more bad blood between the two clubs after last year's Stones saga.  But what's a summer without a good soap opera?