Chelsea bid for Romelu Lukaku to spark Manchester United transfer tug-of-war

The Belgian must now choose which club he wants to play for

Lukaku's goals at Everton mean he now has the pick of Chelsea or Manchester United (Getty)

Chelsea will match Manchester United's offer for Romelu Lukaku, backing the player to choose a Stamford Bridge return over a reunion with Jose Mourinho at Old Trafford.

The Belgium international will now have his pick of which side to play for, with the Blues also happy to pay the same wages as United have offered.

United are understood to be confident a deal has been completely agreed via the player's representative, Mino Raiola. But Chelsea are also bullish on their chances, with Lukaku himself having expected for much of the summer that he would end up in west London and maintained frequent contact with the Premier League champions.


 Lukaku now has the option of a return to Chelsea 
 (Getty)

Lukaku has a medical booked in Los Angeles by United, with a view to having him signed this weekend but the hope at Stamford Bridge is that he will stall on a completion.

The 24-year-old centre forward finds himself in the enviable position of having the best team in England last season and the country's richest club fighting it out for his signature, but agent Raiola - who is a notoriously tough negotiator - may end up the biggest winner.