Romelu Lukaku has declared he is joining his "dream team", after Chelsea reached an agreement to sign the striker from Anderlecht. The Blues' long pursuit of the 18-year-old finally bore fruit when they announced they were poised to complete a deal for him, subject to the player passing a medical and agreeing personal terms.
Lukaku, who is reportedly valued at between £15m and £20m, made no secret of the fact he was a Chelsea fan while he was being linked with Stamford Bridge. And despite last week claiming that he had not ruled out a move elsewhere, the teenager has made it clear there is nowhere else he would rather be.
While responding to questions on Twitter, Lukaku was asked what his favourite thing about Chelsea was. He replied: "The fans… the players… it's just my dream team."
Lukaku, who is already a Belgium international, faces a real fight to break into the Blues first team. He warned earlier this week that he would not want to be sent out on loan if he moved to Stamford Bridge, and the forward believes he can only benefit from training and playing alongside the likes of Fernando Torres and Didier Drogba, to whom Lukaku has long been compared.
He wrote: "I think I am entering a team full of experienced guys and winners. And I'm very happy about that."
Lukaku is also aware he will arrive at a team under pressure to deliver silverware this season after finishing empty-handed last term. Describing the Premier League as the "best league in the world", Lukaku added: "We have to improve ourselves year after year."
Should the new manager, André Villas-Boas, decide not to loan Lukaku out, it would arguably leave Chelsea with too many forwards. That would doubtless increase speculation over the futures of the likes of Drogba, Nicolas Anelka, Salomon Kalou and Florent Malouda.
It is understood that Drogba, who finished last season strongly, is being offered a new contract to replace the one which expires next summer. There have been no such noises about Anelka, whose deal also has a year left to run, while Kalou has long been linked with moves away from the club, due to his fringe status.
The Ivorian's chances could become even more limited this term thanks to the form of Daniel Sturridge, who has impressed in pre-season. The England Under-21 international struck twice yesterday as Chelsea came from behind to win their final pre-season friendly at Rangers, 3-1.
After the game, Villas-Boas would not be drawn on whether Chelsea had made or would make a third bid for the Tottenham Hotspur playmaker Luka Modric.
Asked whether his side needed more imagination, he said: "The imagination comes out when you exploit the talent that you have and that is what we try to do.
"We try to get the most out of people and, without repeating myself, I think these people are enjoying the freedom they are given to exploit new things that they thought that they didn't have before. We will let them express themselves."
The Portuguese was also coy about whether he had decided upon his forwards for Saturday's Premier League opener at Stoke. Many of his players will be on international duty this week.
"It is going to be a very important week still to make decisions," he said. "Fernando goes away, Didier goes away, Anelka and Sturridge are staying, Malouda is going with the [French] national team. A couple of forwards will be in action, some won't, so let's see what happens."