Chelsea were on Friday night waiting to find out whether or not Romelu Lukaku completed a move to Manchester United after it emerged they had matched the Old Trafford club’s offer.

Lukaku was due to take a medical in LA with United still confident of completing a £75million deal for the Belgian, as Chelsea sweated on whether or not they had been beaten to head coach Antonio Conte’s top target.

Chelsea made an offer that would guarantee Everton and Lukaku the same amount of money as they would receive from United, but were not prepared to match the agent fees Mino Raiola would pocket from the Old Trafford club.

Raiola stands to make around £10m from Lukaku joining United, but would receive less if he picks Chelsea. Chelsea believed they had left Lukaku a straight choice between moving for sporting reasons or for the benefit of Raiola.

Sources at Chelsea and close to the player have long felt that Lukaku had set his heart on a return to the club he first joined in 2011 before United’s shock intervention.