Understandably, Koeman’s claims regarding Romelu Lukaku didn’t go down particularly well with the Everton fans.
Ronald Koeman’s comments purporting to encourage Romelu Lukaku to leave Everton in order to fulfil his potential have been taken out of context, the club’s majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri has told talkSPORT.
The Dutchman drew the ire of much of the Goodison faithful when he reportedly told Belgian newspaper HLN, in quotes reported by Sky Sports, that Lukaku was too talented to stay on Merseyside for much longer, with many interpreting the comments as proof that Koeman himself was using Everton as a stepping stone upon which to leap into a more prestigious job.
However, the issue has been blown out of proportion, according to Moshiri, who suggests that his manager was only intending to give Lukaku a confidence boost following his ineffective showing in the club’s abject 5-0 defeat at the hands of the striker’s former club Chelsea on Saturday evening.
“It has been taken out of context,” the steel magnate told talkSPORT.
“Ronald Koeman said he believes Romelu will develop into one of the best strikers in the world in the next two to three years and wouldn’t be out of place at his old club, Barcelona.
“It is just player-coach talk.”
Sky Sports reported that Lukaku had handed in a transfer request in the summer, only to be convinced to remain at Goodison Park for the time being due to Koeman’s bullish ambition.
However, it appears unlikely that Everton will be able to prevent their prized asset from scarpering through the transfer window in the near future, with the Belgian outspoken in his desire to play Champions League football.
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