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EDIT: The Liverpool Echo's Greg O'Keefe has just confirmed the news -
Confirmed. #Everton have completed a five-year deal for #Romelu Lukaku. Club will announce signing tonight. Massive coup for the Blues
— Greg O'Keeffe (@GregOK) July 30, 2014
Is the wait nearly over?
The most anticipated and protracted transfer of the summer could be at an end.
The Belgian media are reporting that Romelu Lukaku has agreed a five-year deal to join Everton from Chelsea.
The fee is believed to be around £24million - a price widely thought to have been set at the start of the summer, with Lukaku then left to decide his future.
Lukaku has been on holiday for the past few weeks after the World Cup so there has been precious few updates, until he decided to troll us all with a tweet on Wednesday afternoon:
Time to write a new chapter..... pic.twitter.com/1XNjbYXsl4
— R.Lukaku Bolingoli (@RomeluLukaku9) July 30, 2014
That got us all excited, with Evertonians dispatching themselves to Liverpool Airport, Goodison Park and Finch Farm to try and find out more. Some were even using flight radar websites to try and guess where he was coming from!
Then a number of respected Belgian journalists on Twitter stated that Lukaku had agreed an Everton move, citing Belgian paper La Dernière Heure (DH) -
DH confirm Romelu Lukaku will sign for 5 years at Everton. More info to follow. #EFC
— Kristof Terreur (@HLNinEngeland) July 30, 2014
The article says that a deal was agreed between the two clubs on Monday and Tuesday, with Lukaku flying to England today to finalise the move.
It was then soon picked up by the UK media:
BREAKING: Romelu Lukaku is flying in on a private jet to complete a £25m move to Everton from Chelsea #EFC http://t.co/BK4i3aTa0j
— MailOnline Sport (@MailSport) July 30, 2014
There has been no confirmation, as expected, from the club, but should the move be rubber stamped it would smash Everton's transfer record - currently at £15million for Marouane Fellaini in 2008 - and also represent one of the most significant signings in the club's history.
Speaking of Fellaini, this was on Felli's Instagram just minutes ago -
mfellaini:CONGRATULATIONS to my man @romelu_lukaku17 on signing for @officialeverton !! Big future ahead
Given it would also come just a day after Ross Barkley signed a new deal, Evertonians would struggle to cope with so much good news in such a short space of time!
We await further updates with bated breath.....