The Celtic striker has actually scored more goals than Lukaku in all competitions this season – but could Everton attract him to Goodison Park?
It’s no exaggeration to suggest that Everton have been shaken to the core by the sudden bombshell that Romelu Lukaku will not sign a new contract at Goodison Park – especially after motor-mouth super-agent Mino Raiola said the deal was ’99 per cent done’, as reported by The Sun.
Though agents are hardly the most trustworthy of sources, there was a real sense of shock when the latest developments broke earlier in the week.
Lukaku’s Champions League ambitious are well-established but, after deciding to remain at the club last summer despite previously handing in a transfer request, it seemed as if the Belgian had fully bought into the ambitious project kick-started by the arrivals of Farhad Moshiri and Ronald Koeman.
Everton may still be eight points off the top four but 2016/17 has narrowed the gap.
On the flipside, if there is a flipside to losing your star man and the striker responsible for 40 per cent of your league goals, any deal to take Lukaku from Merseyside is likely to earn The Toffees at least £50, possibly £60 million.
Therefore, they would not be short of funds, even fn the prospect of replacing the irreplaceable is daunting to say the least. Though Everton supporters seem to have already identified the player they want to see inherit Lukaku’s Number 10 shirt.
And, with 32 goals in an incredible debut season in Scottish football, you can see why Celtic talisman Moussa Dembele would be top of their list. Like Lukaku, he’s young, ambitious and remarkably prolific. Even claims from The Telegraph that interested parties would have to pay £40 million would not put Everton off – especially if Lukaku’s departure swells the coffers in the summer.
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