Should Everton try to re-sign Lukaku?
With Everton taking a break this week due to FA Cup fixtures, let’s look again at an issue that has plagued the team all season; the lack of an established centre-forward.
This has been a problem ever since Everton sold Romelu Lukaku to Manchester United in a £75 million deal in the summer of 2017.
The Blues have never been able to replace the Belgian’s goals or his presence up front. And this has become a touchstone issue for many Everton supporters who are unhappy with the side’s performances.
Since Lukaku left, the Toffees have been defined by their inconsistent efforts and most of all, by a chronic lack of goal threat.
I don’t think simply signing a new centre-forward will solve all of Everton’s problems. For that matter I don’t think many other Blues fans do either.
However it’s certainly the case that having an established, quality striker in the team might well help improve the team and it’s results as well as appease the supporters too.
Everton teams have always thrived and been at their best when they have a talismanic centre-forward leading the line.
From the legendary William Ralph ‘Dixie’ Dean in the twenties’ and thirties’ to his successor Tommy Lawton, seventies’ star Bob Latchford, Graeme Sharp, Duncan Ferguson and Lukaku, the Blues have often had a powerful and dominant ‘number 9’ in the side.
Current manager Marco Silva seems to want to play in a system with someone fulfilling that role as well. He has tried a number of different options, mostly with Richarlison playing as the most advanced forward.
Despite this experimenting though it hasn’t worked and Everton’s goal scoring has been declining alarmingly in recent weeks and months.
So given all this, the lack of obvious alternatives and his own difficulties at United, should the Toffees make a move to try to bring Lukaku back to Goodison Park this summer?
Such a move would certainly be a long-shot and probably not something every Blues fan would maybe approve of even if it was possible. But Lukaku is a proven Premier League goal scorer and of course knows Everton well.
In addition his career at Old Trafford seems to have run into the sand as he’s lost his starting place in the team.
And if United appoint Ole Gunnar Solsksjaer as permanent manager, he may not have a long-term future there either as the Norwegian seems to favour playing Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial as his starting strikers.
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United might be prepared to let him go as they will want to provide Solsksjaer or whoever takes over from him, with enough money to strengthen the team to mount a title challenge next season.
Perhaps Lukaku in turn would be prepared to return to Everton and revive his career. Especially as he will presumably want to be playing regularly to secure a place in Belgium’s team for the Euro’s next summer.
The Toffees need to clear out a lot of players in the summer and if they’re successful doing so it might generate enough funds to finance such an ambitious move. Anyway it’s just a thought..?