Everton fans were rocked by the news that Romelu Lukaku had rejected a new contract at Goodison Park this week.
Everton’s Romelu Lukaku
A report in the Sunday Mirror has suggested that Romelu Lukaku agreed with the Everton board last summer that he would be given the green light to leave at the end of the current campaign if the Toffees failed to reach the Champions League.
Everton were rocked by the news this week that the Belgian had rejected a deal that would have seen him earn £130,000 a week at Goodison Park (via Mirror), and it appears that the owners would have already had an inkling that the rejection was coming.
According to the Mirror, Toffees chairman Bill Kenwright and majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri told Lukaku – who has been linked with Chelsea recently – that if Ronald Koeman’s men fell short of finishing in the Premier League’s top four this term, they would be willing to allow him to leave this summer.
While Everton are just five points off the top four in sixth currently, it looks like it is going to take a flawless run between now and the end of the campaign to finish amongst the top four.
Everton owner Farhad Moshiri and chairman Bill Kenwright in the stands
Seventh place Manchester United have three games in hand over Everton, while every team above them has at least one game in hand.
But if they get close this time around, and then subsequently show some ambition in the transfer market come the summer, then perhaps Lukaku will be tempted to ignore the deal that was struck last year and instead stay put for another season.
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