Romelu Lukaku's agent has opened talks with Tottenham Hotspur ahead of a £25 million summer transfer, which contradicts what his client said two months ago.
"It is high time that I play in the Champions League," Lukaku told the Belgian daily Het Laatste Nieuws. "It is the next step I need in my development. Full stop."
It is likelier Everton, who signed Lukaku on loan from Chelsea last year, will be in European football's elite competition next season than Tottenham, whose risible season took another turn for the worse with a 4-0 thrashing at Liverpool on Sunday.
Romelu Lukaku has scored 13 goals for Everton this season
However, Lukaku's agent Christophe Henrotay told Belgium newspaper Het Nieuwsblad: "I'm looking for a club for Romelu. And yes, I've talked to Daniel Levy once, but that doesn't mean Romelu will definitely join Spurs. That's not a talking point at this moment.
"There aren't 20 teams that can afford to buy Romelu. He won't go from Everton to, let's say, Swansea. There's also a difference between Everton that plays against relegation and an Everton that fights for European football."
Everton almost certainly cannot afford to invest £25m in a single player, having spent less than that sum on Joel Robles, Arouna Koné and James McCarthy in the summer.
Chelsea boss José Mourinho appears keen to offload Lukaku, who has scored 13 goals at Goodison Park this season. The Portuguese has criticised the Belgium striker a number of times this campaign, along with Chelsea's current misfiring forwards.
Lukaku has less than 18 months remaining on his Blues deal.