Everton are better off without Romelu Lukaku
By Paul Taylor
While losing Romelu Lukaku to Manchester United is disappointing, Everton can at least now put this ugly saga behind them.
They think it’s all over..it is now. Well, nearly. As long predicted, Romelu Lukaku is leaving Everton.
However, in a somewhat unexpected twist, Lukaku won’t be returning to Chelsea. Instead, he will stay in the North West.
As reported by The Guardian, the Belgian international will join Manchester United, for £75 million. It may not be the £100 million Everton were apparently looking for, but they will still make a significant profit on a player they signed for £28 million three years ago.
Understandably, there will still be some disappointment, as there should be after losing a forward who contributed 25 league goals last season. However, for the most part, this should be seen as addition by subtraction.
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Lukaku made he clear he wanted to leave, after refusing to sign a new contract offer. Additionally, his latest actions suggest Everton are better off without him anyway.
As per a report from Matt Lawton and Chris Wheeler of the Daily Mail, the 24-year old angered the Blues, after failing to report for training on Thursday. Manager Ronald Koeman is apparently fuming, after the striker failed to return repeated calls.
Certainly, this represents a lack of class from Lukakau. Sadly, it’s not exactly a rarity in the world of professional football.
Perhaps anticipating the move, the Belgian international has been spending time in Los Angeles with United’s Paul Pogba, who has the same agent. The duo intend to join Jose Mourinho and the rest of the team when they arrive on Sunday, for a pre-season tour of the United States.
However, Lukaku may have to put this on hold, at least temporarily. Lawton and Wheeler believe the move is being held up by Everton, as a result of his behaviour
In reality, it’s hard to imagine the club actually doing this. Apart from the fact the £75 million will come in extremely useful sooner than later, are the Blues really going to, effectively, stoop down to Lukaku’s level?
While the former Anderlecht player has behaved immaturely, at least he let them know he wanted to leave. And the quicker Everton can put this saga behind them, the sooner they can move on to a new era at the club.
In that respect, these are exciting times for the Toffees, with their recent flurry of signings. The loss of Lukaku will likely not be as frustrating for the fans, although this is not to make light of a player who scored an impressive 87 goals in 154 appearances for the club.
The main thing now is for Everton to find a suitable replacement, or replacements. They’ve already brought in the highly rated Sandro Ramirez, but if they can also sign someone such as Raul Jimenez or Olivier Giroud, it will make Lukaku’s loss more bearable.
Next: Is Andre Gray still an option for up front?
Now that Lukaku is definitely leaving, what is your overriding feeling? Are you relieved, disappointed, happy or angry? Let us know why, in the comments section.