​Romelu Lukaku's exit from Everton looks to be getting ever closer, with reports claiming that he told his club at the start of the season that he would leave if they failed to achieve Champions League qualification.





The Toffees currently lie 12th in the Premier League table as the season enters its final stages, after a series of disappointing defensive performances negated the good work done by Lukaku and the club's attacking corps.





​The Mirror report that the club are unwilling to let Lukaku go in the summer, and are gearing up to reject bids of £50m or more from Manchester United and Chelsea. Their stubbornness is said to worry the Belgian, who had hoped to be allowed to leave without too much of a fight if his targets weren't met.

The club faced a similar fight to keep hold of centre-back John Stones last summer, rejecting ever-increasing offers from Chelsea despite Stones handing in a transfer request - something which was later described as a 'mistake' by manager Roberto Martinez. Despite an ugly saga, Stones ended the window as an Everton player.





In another twist in the saga, Lukaku's outspoken agent Mino Raiola has flown into Turin to meet with Juventus officials, with the ​Express reporting that Raiola was there to negotiate a possible move for the 23-year-old.





A move to the reigning Italian champions would make sense for Lukaku's ambitions, with Champions League qualification as good as assured at the club. In the cases of the other teams interested, particularly Chelsea and Manchester United, European competition is far from certain given their current league struggles.

For more from Chris when he's not writing on 90min, follow him on Twitter at @ThatChris1209!

Don't miss out - subscribe to the 90min podcast - now on iTunes HERE and back on SoundCloud over here!​



