Filed under: Chelsea, Premier League, Football, Transfer News
Be honest. How many of you knew that much about Romelu Lukaku or Thibault Cortois before last week? Come to think of it, outside of Chelsea-obsessives, who could have picked Andre Villas-Boas out of a line-up before last season's Europa League final?While Villas-Boas still gets linked - and asked about - the likes of Luka Modric and other high-profile names befitting a club with designs on winning the Champions League, his initial forays into the transfer market indicate he is recruiting in his own image, bringing in players who are not yet superstars but have bags of potential.
Lukaku is the second player who is likely to arrive at Stamford Bridge, after Chelsea bid around £18 million for the 18-year-old Anderlecht striker, with fellow Belgian Thibaut Cortois nearing an agreement on personal terms with the club.
Chelsea have been after Lukaku for some time, with Anderlecht general manager Herman van Holsbeeck revealing last month they were in negotiations with the London club.
He is highly-rated, as shown by his price tag, which if accepted will put him joint second with Manchester United's Anderson on the list of the Premier League's most expensive teenager list, behind Wayne Rooney. And he is massive in Anderlecht - over half of the replica shirt sales have Lukaku's name on it.
FanHouse UK: Who Is Romelu Lukaku? (Video)
He has had two years in the Belgian top flight, where he scored 15 goals last term and 16 the season before. He is big - 6ft 4in - and has been described as the new Didier Drogba, because of his strength, size and tenacity.
But what is more telling is that Villas-Boas, who himself could be regarded as a choice from leftfield given the household names being linked with the Chelsea manager's job after Carlo Ancelotti's exit, is confident enough to take a punt on players like Lukaku and goalkeeper Cortois.
This is of course early days in the transfer window , as Villas-Boas keeps reminding us every time the subject of new recruits is brought up. He has not even yet identified who he wants to keep at the club, let alone who he needs to bring in.
His current mantra is "there is plenty of time, no rush" and he is using the tour of Malaysia to ascertain the strengths and weaknesses of his squad, before the club make any major moves.
Of course it must not be forgotten that transfers are not the sole preserve of the manager at Chelsea. Villas-Boas recommends players, but the board plays a far bigger role in the transfer market at Stamford Bridge than at other clubs.
But the early signs are that the Chelsea are prepared to go for more value signings - albeit ones that may carry a risk - to complement the big names of Fernando Torres and David Luiz, who joined in the last transfer window.
And, for the time being, marquee names may be at a premium at Stamford Bridge this summer - not that it will be a bad thing. After all, look at how Torres, the last household name to pitch up at the gates, has done.
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Source: http://www.fanhouse.co.uk/2011/07/21/chelsea-transfer-romelu-lukaku/
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