With Chelsea’s success this season practically nailed on, with the Blues ten points clear at the top of the Premier League, thoughts will undoubtedly be turning to the summer and the next transfer window.

There has been plenty of speculation as to the future of star striker Diego Costa, after he had looked almost certain to be leaving for China in the January window, and who could replace the Spaniard come the start of next season.

However, with the events of the last few days, one player who is looking likely to become this year’s Paul Pogba saga is Everton’s Romelu Lukaku. The Belgium international, represented by Pogba’s super-agent Mino Raiola – who has a taste for the dramatic, turned down a new £140k-a-week offer at Goodison Park as the Guardian reported, day’s after Raiola had claimed he was ’99.9999%’ going to put pen to paper sooner rather than later.

The contract snub has got club chiefs on red alert all over Europe, with Manchester United, Juventus and Real Madrid all supposedly interested in a deal, however, no one will be more keen on engineering a move than his former employers, Chelsea.
Furthermore, not only has there been talk of a move for Ronald Koeman’s star man, but also his ‘Diamond’ in the middle, Ross Barkley who has also been on Manchester United’s radar in the past.

A double swoop for the Toffees’ pair is likely to be highly popular with the fans at Stamford Bridge, as Antonio Conte looks to bolster his ranks ahead of a return to the rigours of European football.

The England international has had a lot expected of him since he burst onto the scene in the blue half of Merseyside, and has arguably suffered due to the pressures, perhaps not reaching the levels many anticipated, just yet.

With that in mind, the 23-year-old playmaker could well look to Conte as the perfect manager to get that rise back on track. After seemingly falling out with Koeman earlier this season Barkley has come back into form, however, he will be looking at cases such as that of Victor Moses for inspiration.

The wing-back’s Chelsea career was going nowhere until Conte stepped up and transformed him into a key man in west London. Whilst Barkley’s case if far from that of Moses’, he will certainly have noted the effect Conte’s passion and desire can have on a player.

Couple that addition with a homecoming for Lukaku, who is coming into his own after years of nearly getting there, and it could be a very productive summer.

The Blues have enjoyed plenty of success on the break this season, a system in which the former West Brom loanee would certainly thrive, especially with the creative talents of his current teammate in Barkley coming with him and the likelihood of Barkley moving seem to have increased in recent days after Ronald Koeman has said that he will sell the England international if he does not sign a new contract soon and commit to the Toffees.