Clubs forking out tens of millions on players that they could well have had for nothing seems to be coming into vogue at the moment. After Manchester United smashed the world-record fee to bring back Paul Pogba having sold him a few years prior for £800,000, others seem to be picking up the trend.

In London, Arsenal are consistently linked with a move for Oğuzhan Özyakup, the midfielder they let slip as a youngster, whilst across the continent the likes of Real Madrid brought Alvaro Morata back from Juventus last summer and Barcelona are now supposedly considering the return of Gerard Deulofeu.

However, the deal which could well run all summer this year, as Pogba’s did last, is that for Everton striker Romelu Lukaku who is represented by the same super-agent, Mino Raiola, as the Manchester United midfielder.

The Belgium international, who was named in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year on Thursday, up top alongside Tottenham’s Harry Kane, has been in blistering form for the Toffees this season and is now attracting interest from Antonio Conte, three years after his loan deal from Chelsea was made permanent.

With the former Blue having already snubbed a new deal, it looks more thank likely that he’ll be on the move this summer, which has prompted the Merseysiders to slap an outrageous £100m price-tag on his head. Whilst any deal for the 23-year-old will certainly be for less than that sum, it’s going to be a huge fee nonetheless.

It may appear a waste of money to be forking out such sums on players that have once before not been deemed good enough, Pogba’s performances this year have not reflected his fee however it still seems to early to be so judgemental, however, there is no doubting Lukaku is just what Conte needs next season.

Despite recent blips against Manchester United and Crystal Palace, the Italian still looks well on course for the Premier League title in his maiden season in English football, however, he must begin preparation for the return of European football, as stage on which he has made very clear he wants to impress with Chelsea from the get go.

With that in mind, and the future of top scorer Diego Costa up in the air, he needs players who are already proven at a high enough level and are ready to prove themselves at the very highest.

Lukaku ticks those boxes, there is a sense that he has achieved all he can with Everton and that the time is right to make the step up to the next level. The former West Brom loanee is in the mould of Costa, but is unlikely to have his head turned when it matters most over the coming years, as the Spaniard has this season.

Whatever Chelsea have to pay to land a deal for the forward they let slip, it will be a lot but it will be more than worth it.