After a sluggish start, Chelsea's pre-season is off to a flyer – and the transfer speculation is hotting-up to match.

A pretty dire 2-0 defeat in Vienna was followed up on Wednesday night with a far more controlling 3-0 win, albeit over more junior Austrian opposition in WAC RZ Pellets.

And, all of a sudden, the transfer rumour mill is cranking into action too.

There are some things we know: Michy Batshuayi and N'Golo Kante have been signed; Juan Cuadrado has been recalled from his stint on loan in Italy; and John Terry remains Chelsea's captain.

But the speculation, particularly about who will lead the line for Conte's Blues, is pretty tantalising.

The announcement, by Italian football journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, that Chelsea have entered a bid of €60m (£50m) to bring Romelu Lukaku back to Stamford Bridge is huge news – assuming there is truth in it.

So what do we know?

Target: Chelsea are after Romelu Lukaku

There is no reason to question Di Marzio's motives here – he is a reasonably well respected source.

Though it has to be said that news of the apparent bid came as somewhat of a surprise to those journalistic colleagues who keep the closest eye on Lukaku's affairs.

Certainly Chelsea were keen on Lukaku around the time of the domestic season's end – and there was absolutely no embarrassment at the prospect of re-treading old ground in heaping such a fortune of cash on one they let go.

After all, Manchester United look set to do exactly the same with Paul Pogba – and at considerably more expense too.

(Interestingly, both Pogba and Lukaku share an agent, in Mino Raiola – who is certainly earning his commission this summer).

But the general understanding was that after his underwhelming Euros, when Lukaku at times appeared to have forgotten what a striker's role actually entailed, Chelsea's interest had begun to cool.

Atletico's Costa interest

Spain return? Diego Costa of Chelsea looks on

A lot of what happens here is tied-up in Diego Costa's future.

Chelsea are getting increasingly frustrated with the pretty blatant attempts of Atletico Madrid to turn the Spaniard's gaze back to the Vicente Calderon.

They want to keep him in London, despite his hot and cold record in both goalscoring and disciplinary matters.

Batshuayi has been brought in not primarily to challenge Costa for his place in the team, but to be a longer term option.

Costa is seen very much as the main man up-front, and Chelsea are only likely to be in the market for a striker of Lukaku's expense if Costa were first to leave.

There is the possibility that Chelsea are steeling themselves for precisely that outcome – but still that question mark hangs over the name Lukaku.

What about other targets?

Video Loading

Alvaro Morata is likely to be higher-up Conte's wish list than Lukaku, but it is debatable whether a highly ambitious Juventus would want to lose several key men from a promising team: Pogba, Morata and Leonardo Bonucci are all being pursued for the Premier League.

Lukaku's name could also be a decoy for another highly rated striker – in Antoine Griezmann.

But, again, it seems unlikely that Atletico would go to all the trouble of tempting back Costa, if it meant Griezmann going the other way.

All of which just goes to reinforce the belief that Lukaku may actually be Plan A.

At the moment, this is all speculation. And there are clearly wheels within wheels.

Still a possibility? Antoine Griezmann

Chelsea will not want their targets known by others, and (like most big clubs) are not averse to using smoke and mirrors to get what they want.

The agents involved are also talking-up their clients in a market where recruiters follow a trend, and a buzz around a player can inflate both fee and wages.

And the selling clubs are also trying to link their most prized assets with big deals for precisely the same reasons.

There is a feeling Lukaku has unfinished business at Chelsea, but will this be the summer when he gets the opportunity to correct that?

Only time will tell.

poll loading

How much is Romelu Lukaku worth?

500+ VOTES SO FAR