Alasdair Gold has dropped an update on reported Tottenham Hotspur transfer target Romelu Lukaku.

What's the latest?

In a recent Q&A on football.london, the journalist revealed that, following a number of reports linking Spurs with a move for the Chelsea centre-forward this summer, the 29-year-old is a player who Antonio Conte is a great admirer of - before suggesting that anything could happen in the transfer market.

However, Gold went on to state that it would appear unlikely Thomas Tuchel's side would be willing to do business with a direct rival, as well as suggesting that the Belgian may not feel he would be a guaranteed starter in north London with the likes of Harry Kane, Son Heung-min and Dejan Kulusevski already at the club.

When asked whether there was any truth to the Lukaku rumours, Gold replied: "Conte loves him but I'd have my doubts over whether Chelsea would deal with Spurs and also whether Lukaku would feel he'd get to play week in, week out with Harry Kane at the club. He wouldn't be the main man.

"They may well be able to play together but what that would mean for Son and Kulusevski I don't know. It's a lot of money for a player who hasn't had the happiest time back in the Premier League. I just can't see Chelsea dealing with a London rival and their former manager, but who knows what could happen in this crazy summer."

Conte will be gutted

Considering just how much success Conte enjoyed with Lukaku during his two-year stay at Inter Milan, Gold's suggestion that Chelsea may not be open to doing business with Tottenham this summer, in addition to the journalist's claim that Lukaku himself may not be keen on a switch to north London, is sure to have left the 52-year-old gutted.

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Indeed, over Lukaku's 95 appearances for the Italian coach, the £76.5m-rated forward scored an incredibly impressive 64 goals, as well as providing his teammates with a further 17 assists - meaning the £350k-per-week striker averaged a direct goal involvement every 96 minutes of football played under the current Spurs boss.

Furthermore, with 24 of these goals and 11 of his assists for Inter coming over the Belgium international's 36 Serie A appearances in 2020/21, it is clear to see just how important the 29-year-old was within Conte's Scudetto-winning side last season - form which, if repeated at Tottenham, would undoubtedly help to take Spurs to another level in 2022/23.

However, following Gold's latest update, it would now appear as if a Tottenham move for the former Manchester United and Everton centre-forward this summer does not look overly likely, an outcome that is sure to come as a gutting blow to the 52-year-old Spurs manager.

AND in other news: "There is an option...": Gold drops exciting Spurs update, supporters will be buzzing