LONDON -- Chelsea have matched Manchester United's £75 million bid for Everton's Romelu Lukaku and are now waiting for the player to make a final decision on his future, sources have confirmed to ESPN FC.
United appeared to have won the race for Lukaku by agreeing a £75m fee with Everton on Thursday and have arranged for a medical to take place in Los Angeles, where the Belgium international has been working out with Paul Pogba.
Chelsea, however, remain convinced that Lukaku would prefer a return to Stamford Bridge, and have matched United's offer to Everton in a last-ditch attempt to salvage the signing of their No.1 target to replace the outgoing Diego Costa.
Man United sources have said the club are still confident of the deal for Lukaku going through despite Chelsea matching the proposed fee.
Lukaku now has the choice of going through with the proposed deal with United or accepting Chelsea's offer, which does not include the lucrative fees that his agent Mino Raiola will receive from a move to Old Trafford.
Everton sources on Thursday insisted that no deal had been agreed with United, giving Chelsea hope that Lukaku might still be persuaded to return to Stamford Bridge in this transfer window.
Losing out on Lukaku would force the Blues to turn their attentions to Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata, who has a long-standing relationship with Antonio Conte stretching back to the end of the Italian's spell in charge of Juventus.
Earlier on Friday, sources told ESPN FC that Costa is expected to report for preseason training at Cobham with the rest of the Chelsea squad on Monday unless a deal with Atletico Madrid can be reached before then, despite the fact that his relationship with Conte appears damaged beyond repair.