Blues to send the big Belgian out on loan for a third time.
Romelu Lukaku has agreed to join La Liga champions Atletico Madrid on a season-long loan, according to The Express.
The 21-year-old Belgian World Cup star has only played three games for Chelsea since May 2012, having spent the majority of the last two seasons out on loan at West Bromwich Albion and then Everton.
Lukaku’s chances of becoming a first-team regular at Stamford Bridge appeared to reduce even further on Wednesday when the Blues completed the £32m signing of Diego Costa, who scored 36 goals for Atletico last term.
It is not certain whether Lukaku’s loan move to Madrid was agreed during the talks that saw Costa become a Chelsea player.
However, the deal is expected to be officially announced following the conclusion of Belgium’s World Cup campaign, which continues on Saturday with a quarter-final match against Argentina.
Lukaku has made three appearances at the World Cup so far, including two starts.
He scored as a substitute in Belgium’s 2-1 extra-time win over the USA in the last 16 on Tuesday.
Lukaku’s move to Atletico is likely to frustrate Tottenham Hotspur and Everton, both of whom where said to be interested in signing him this summer.