Rumour: Chelsea could cash in on Romelu Lukaku to sign Diego Costa

Romelu Lukaku

Chelsea will allow striker Romelu Lukaku to join Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur if they succeed in their pursuit of Atletico Madrid forward Diego Costa, report the Daily Mail.

The burly Belgian, who is currently on loan at Everton, is keen to be given assurances by Blues manager Jose Mourinho over the amount of game time he will receive at Stamford Bridge next season.

However, the Portuguese boss is unwilling to promise the 20-year-old a starting role at the club as he has made no secret of his desire to make a marquee signing in the summer to make up for his faltering forward line of Samuel Eto’o, Fernando Torres and Demba Ba.

With first team opportunities set to be limited in west London, Lukaku is set to push for a transfer away from the club he joined from Anderlecht in 2011, with Spurs reportedly keen to secure a deal for the striker.

Although Lukaku has declared a desire to play Champions League football, Spurs are confident they can convince him to join the club despite unrest over their managerial position.

Meanwhile, Chelsea will only sanction deal if they can make a profit on the £18 million they paid for Lukaku and a deal is agreed for their number one target Costa.

Chelsea are keen on the Spaniard, who picked up an injury during Atletico Madrid’s Champions League clash with Barcelona last night, as he has been in sensational form for Diego Simeone’s side throughout the season.

The Spanish outfit are likely to command a fee of around £30 million for their prized asset, but Mourinho is not deterred by the huge price tag and wants to secure a deal ahead of the summer’s World Cup finals for his number one target.

Romelu Lukaku has averaged one goal every two games this season, with a total of 12 strikes in 24 appearances.