Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has requested an urgent meeting with Lionel Messi following his Barcelona departure, according to reports. Messi is now a free agent after his contract expired earlier in the summer, with the Catalan club confirming his exit on Thursday.
However, Messi's sudden availability has caused Abramovich to request an urgent meeting with the 34-year-old's representatives through an English intermediary.
With the Blues pressing forward with their pursuit of Lukaku, it seems like Messi could be seen as an enticing backup plan.
Chelsea are expected to make a third bid for the Belgium international, with Inter reportedly set to accept if it matches their £102million (€120m) valuation.
Abramovich is unsurprisingly not alone in pursuing a blockbuster deal for Messi this month.
Fabrizio Romano reports Paris Saint-Germain are already advancing talks, with Neymar pushing the club to make the transfer happen.
Chelsea are reportedly locked in talks with Inter over bringing Lukaku back to Stamford Bridge this summer.
He left for Everton in 2014 after scoring no goals for the Blues in 15 games but will return a completely different beast.
If Chelsea meet Inter's £102m valuation, they will smash the Premier League transfer record for the second time in the current transfer window.
Manchester City's £100m capture of Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish set a new record earlier this week.