A reported £75million transfer fee has been agreed between Everton and Manchester United over the transfer of Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku. The 24-year-old striker is expected to join the Red Devil’s before their pre-season tour departure on Sunday.
Manchester United have agreed a fee in the region of £75m for Everton striker Romelu Lukaku.
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— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 6, 2017
José Mourinho and Ed Woodward have been in search of a top striker this summer, to replace the departing Zlatan Ibrahimović. Lukaku has been a target for United, but the original prime target was reportedly Real Madrid forward Álvaro Morata. With Chelsea originally the strongest candidates to re-sign the young striker, it looks to be the Old Trafford side who will win the race for the Belgian’s signature, after he turned down a lucrative offer from Everton in March to move to a new club.
Romelu Lukaku
Lukaku joined Chelsea from Belgian side Anderlecht in 2011, before later being sold by ex-Chelsea manager Mourinho in 2014 to Everton for a then record fee of £28million.
At Everton, the 24-year-old has enjoyed great success as the main striker. In the 2016/17 season, Lukaku finished runner-up to Harry Kane in the Premier League Golden Boot race, netting 25 goals. Additionally, he clocked up six assists and contributed greatly to the Toffee’s overall attacking play.
The Belgian is a player who should offer a similar style of centre-forward play to Ibrahimović, in that he is a tall, physical forward who can hold the ball up and bring other attackers pacey attackers into play. Not only is he strong on the ball, but he also offers greater pace up front than the 35-year-old departing Swede. What will please United fans the most is his finishing prowess. Last season’s Everton Player of the Year is one of the most clinics finishers in the Premier League. In the 2016/17 campaign Lukaku averaged a goal every 131 minutes, with 64% of his shots on target.
The Last Word
At the age of 24, Romelu Lukaku still may have some of his best years ahead of him. He has improved his performances and overall goal return in the past few seasons, and is projected to further increase his productivity. Despite the extraordinary transfer fee agreed between the two clubs, Lukaku has the potential to prosper at Manchester United. Playing alongside the likes of Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Marcus Rashford and Paul Pogba should aid both the club’s attacking prowess and Lukaku’s individual development. This looks to be one of the statement signings of the Summer Transfer Window.
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