Pizy

Yeah, yeah. I know it's still early and it's no time to be worried. At the same time, though, Pep & Mourinho are on holiday too and their clubs have been busy. City have already made 2 key signings and United are on the brink of making their 2nd key signing.

Meanwhile, at Chelsea...

I think the China thing was definitely "something" initially. Who wouldn't be blinded by an offer of 30m per year salary or whatever it was? Then I think he came to his senses and started up with the Atleti stuff again. Now he's trying to paint Conte as the villain and apparently garner sympathy from the public.

Imagine trying to slate Conte after the stunt he pulled in January trying to leave to China. Or talking numerous times about his desire to return to Spain. He should be grateful Conte allowed him back in the side and talked positively about him for the rest of the season. Someone with less class would've sent him to the curb.

To be honest, he's doing his damnedest right now to burn all bridges and evaporate any good will he had with the club and us fans. Airing out everything in public and angling for a move away over and over again (which he's been doing for years now). Personally, I'm sick of him. Quicker we move him on and get someone who's happy to play for Chelsea and isn't going to moan about going back to Spain every chance he gets the better.

Need all the creativity and technical players we can get to support Lukaku if he arrives. I'm all for James signing for that reason. That lineup posted above with James as the furthest advanced midfielder of a 3 looks nice, I must say. Can play both James and Cesc against the many parked buses we're sure to face as well.

I'll bet you anything that they'll still finish 15+ points behind Juve next season.

If true and even if the bids are turned down, at least we know the club are serious about strengthening in a big way at the fullback positions. Surely someone of quality will be signed there.

So that's now City, Arsenal, and United who have made their first signings. Liverpool would've signed up Van Dijk by now if their board weren't incompetent. Hopefully we kickstart our business next week with Bakayoko.

I doubt he's on peanuts at Juve. If we triple his salary I'm sure he'd consider it.

Average footballer but great goal scorer? So like Diego Costa then? Or even Harry Kane? Neither of those two are electric with the ball yet score 20 or more per season. Lukaku is the same.

Would be the signing of the summer across Europe if it happened. No chance, though. Don't see why a star Italian CB playing for an Italian juggernaut would leave.

Such a similar player to Lukaku, though. We need a foil or different sort of player surely?

So, if it's Lukaku as our primary striker target and Batshuayi is now being linked with Monaco, maybe there really is something to the rumor about us and Mbappe? It's a long shot of course, but obviously we'll need more than just Lukaku. If Mourinho gets Morata & Belotti, Sanchez is impossible, and Diego is 100% gone,Moho else is there?

I'd prefer Lukaku as well if it was a choice between one or the other. I was still (perhaps foolishly) hoping we'd be after both. I think they'd work very well as a two-headed beast.

Looks like it might be Lukaku or bust for us now. How fucked will we be if Everton pull a John Stones on us again? With the whole Diego Costa situation, this could burn us badly.

Just can't imagine us spending that much on a single position.

£200m on Lukaku & Mbappe. Totally buying this rumor...

I'll be sad to see him go for the great moments he brought us but won't shed a tear like I would if say, Hazard left. His antics both on the pitch and off were disgraceful at times. Won't miss him completely losing his head frequently during matches or angling a transfer away time and time again. Sometimes the positives can't outweigh the negatives. Replacing him with someone who can have the same goal production without all the baggage is best for the club. But we surely need more than one new forward. We can't enter a season back in the CL and with everyone around us getting far stronger with just Lukaku & Batshuayi. Would be suicide.

Cold-fucking-blooded from Antonio. Can you blame him after what Diego did in January? I can't. Surely multiple attacking signings are lined up already. I hope...

We aren't paying 100m for Lukaku, calm down. Plus, spending mega money on a 25 goal a season striker is a bit different that spending mega money on a fullback. Much easier to find them than top strikers.

The fucking incompetence! HAHAHAHAHA! Surely we have to go in, negotiate with Soton and sign him now, right? Player clearly wants to go and maybe they'll now accept a bit less just to get rid and be done with the situation so they can secure their own targets.

City are literally taking the piss if they sign Sanchez. Like really, what's the point with all of the attacking players they've already got? They'll already struggle to play all of the attackers they have. I'll be beyond annoyed if he goes there.

Have a feeling some people in this thread will be eating their words if Lukaku rejoins. Or heaven forbid he ends up at United instead and becomes José's #9 for the next 5 years.

Who do you suggest? There are a dozen midfielders who United could've signed that barely got any assists and barely scored any goals but they paid £90m for Pogba. For around the same money we get a player who adds so much more productivity and is around the same age. True, the fee is shocking but that's just the way it is now. We can look back in 5 years and say that Lukaku was a bargain if he continues scoring at the same pace as he has been in far worse teams than Chelsea. And why wouldn't he with much better players around him? Honestly, what does Diego Costa offer that Lukaku doesn't?