ARSENAL last night tabled a £14million bid for Anderlecht superkid Romelu Lukaku. And boss Arsene Wenger now believes he can beat rivals Chelsea to the 18-year-old striker's signature.
SunSport can reveal Lukaku's agent Christophe Henrotay met Arsenal officials in London yesterday.
He was then expected to fly to Portugal where the Belgian club are based during pre-season, to talk to the teenager
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Chelsea were hot favourites to land the 6ft 3in starlet, who is rated one of the top young players in Europe.
He has hit 31 goals in just 71 games for Anderlecht and has already played nine times for Belgium.
It would represent a major coup for Wenger if the Arsenal manager can pull off the deal.
Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona also made inquiries but Lukaku looked sure to sign for Chelsea until Arsenal moved in.
Anderlecht are prepared to let him go for less than their £18m asking price.
But a major stumbling block to any deal could be the fact that Lukaku's dad Roger stands to pocket 25 per cent of any fee.
Arsenal are on a money-spinning tour in the Far East but Wenger promised he is working day and night to strengthen the team.
It is understood that Gunners executives first spoke to Henrotay several months ago but only decided to firm up their interest in the last few days.
The news will be a huge boost to Emirates fans who are waiting for a conclusion to the saga of Cesc Fabregas' move to Barcelona next week, after the squad return from China.
Originally Posted by AKBapologist
