With the press still debating whether Drogba and Torres are good enough to lead the line for Chelsea (together or individually) and Nicolas Anelka douses the club’s efforts to move him on by saying that he will see out his contract at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea are also planning to secure their future by bringing in Anderlecht’s Romelu Lukaku.

There is interest from Marseille as well, but Chelsea are planning to send Lukaku out on loan again to enable him to gain valuable first-team experience which is a crucial factor in the player’s decision making process.

But Lukaku isn’t just a hopeful punt – his stats show that, if groomed properly, he would rule European football for years to come.

THE ‘NEW’ DROGBA THAT TOOK BELGIUM BY STORM

Since 2009-10 – Romelu Lukaku’s debut season – only one player has netted as many league goals as the 18-year-old in the Belgian top flight.

Romelu Lukaku’s career statistics

Belgian Pro League’s top scorers since 2009-10 (Lukaku’s debut season)

The 6’3’’ youngster netted 15 league goals in his debut season in 2009-10, topping the goal charts and establishing a new all-time record as the youngest-ever top scorer in a campaign, at the age of 16, the Belgian international went on the score 16 goals in the following season.

Romelu Lukaku’s career record v opponents – Belgian Pro League

Overall Lukaku found the net against 16 of the 17 clubs he faced; only Cercle Brugge managed to prevent him from scoring.

Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas has already said that they don’t need more forwards this summer, and that a more crucial area for them is central midfield with Modric a key target and the need to potentially bring in a replacement for the injured Michael Essien.

With Chelsea likely to complete the signing in the next two weeks, the big question is, who will he be playing on loan for next season