Chelsea could sell Romelu Lukaku this summer to help fund a move for Paris Saint-Germain striker Edinson Cavani, according to the Sunday Mirror.
Why would this be of interest to Arsenal you ask? Well it’s plain to see that Arsene Wenger could do with adding more firepower to his squad and instead of splashing out a huge fee to land a top striker abroad, the Frenchman would be irrational not to consider the possibility of landing Lukaku instead.
Despite his vast development and proving he can very much cut it in the Premier League, Lukaku’s future at Chelsea under Jose Mourinho seemingly looks all but over, having been sent out on loan the past two seasons at West Brom and presently Everton, with the Portuguese coach not fully confident in the striker’s ability. Lukaku has only managed to make 20 appearances in all competitions for the Blues.
And with Cavani reportedly on the cards for Mourinho this summer, the 20-year-old seems to have become surplus to requirements at the Stamford Bridge and would be sold if a bid of around £23 million was to be offered.
Spurs and Atletico Madrid are supposedly interested and Arsenal were before the young forward joined Chelsea from Anderlecht three-years ago.
But with Lukaku set for the exit door – should the Gunners go back in for the Belgium international?
Although the youngster may not be on top of everyone’s list of strikers they would like to see come to the Emirates, I think he is an option Wenger should certainly consider carefully.
Lukaku, who has scored 26 in 61 Premier League appearances since coming to England, possesses great strength, is physically powerful – both on the ground and aerially – and has a knack for scoring goals, as well as of course Premier League experience under his belt.
He was bought for an initial £10 million which would rise to £17 million with add-ons and due to his recent consistency for West Brom and Everton, as well as the Belgium national side, its no surprise his value has increased over the past two seasons.
£23 million may look a lot of money to some, especially when you consider Diego Costa is worth £35 million. However, Lukaku is an already-made Premier League striker and if he is managing to score goals for teams such as West Brom and Everton, imagine what he could do at Arsenal with players like Santi Cazorla, Mesut Ozil and Jack WIlshere feeding him.
Lukaku still has a lot to learn and needs to develop his game in certain areas, but he is showing promising signs that he can be a major player in the future.
I think £23 million is a fair asking-price for Lukaku, and I also believe Arsenal should rekindle their interest in the 6’3’’ Belgian (dubbed the ‘next Didier Drogba’) when the season concludes.
He is a very good player that I think we should be interested in. Did he fall out with Mourinho or is it just that Mourinho doesn’t think he will become world class? If it is the latter then we shouldn’t be thinking any differently to Mourinho as I feel world class is what we should look at now. Maybe he has the potential to be that but Mourinho either doesn’t see it or is not prepared to wait for him to become it. If Aw felt he had that potential then I would go with him on the decision but if AW felt say Draxler had the ability to convert to striker and had the greater potential for world class status then he should go for that instead.
Interestingly we should have no problem getting Mourinho to send him to us now that he has said that we could have had Mata if only we had asked. This new found niceness towards his fellow EPL rivals is so refreshing and just seems light years away from refusing to let us have Djemba Ba, whom many would feel is not as good as Lukaku. So much time has passed since then and obviously Jose is a completely different person to the one he was at the end of August 2013.
Look how he fared againts the gunners earlier this season… he ain’t made out for big matches so… i would value lukaku at 18mil quid at best… just cos chelsea sold a spainiard at 37mil (what a sucker price to pay for) don’t mean romelu is worth that much… jose paying top top bucks for players don’t make them worth that much
As soon as lukaku missed the penalty in the super cup he was out on loan again, and mourinho won’t lose face now say he’s worth a place in his squad now
Lukaku is an incredible athlete. Aged 17, he really looked like a man among boys in the Belgian competition. Now he’s in England, a few years older, and he usually looks like a monster among men. But having some truly unique physical qualities does not guarantee anyone to become a top striker at a top club.
Lukaku has been nurtured from a young age by many football coaches at Lierse SK. You can tell by the runs he makes. He does most things “by the book”. Now here is the big difference with our other crop of Belgian football stars. The Kompany’s, Benteke’s, Fellaini’s, Dembélé’s of this world have all learned to play “on the street”, where different skill sets are needed than on a grass pitch where you play 11v11. This becomes all too evident when Lukaku is played as a lone striker against an opponent that knows how to press and can keep the space between players limited. You know, the “park-the-bus” treatment that the Gunners so often get to enjoy.
The Belgium national team play 433 and at times when Benteke was injured, Lukaku covered for him in the lone striker position. Against teams who believe in their own abilities, he can be a real weapon. Once unleashed from, let’s say, the center of the pitch, not many would be able to stop him from storming to the goal and scoring on the break.
But when Belgium faced a pressing opponent with many bodies in defense, Lukaku was the worst player on the pitch.
Study his first touch when under pressure. You usually see the ball ending up a few yards from where he intended it to be.
He will never make it in a team where a striker needs to hold up the ball. In that regard I don’t see him doing what Giroud does. Not in a million years!
Don’t buy Donkey..ehm.. Lukaku as he would be of no use whatsoever.
Why do you think Mourinho let him go at the start of the season? Why do Chelsea want to sell him? Because they know the player and he does not fit into their plans. Main reason: he is not good enough for them.
Put him in any average side and he will get you 15-20 “freight train” goals. But he will never make it in a top team that requires a striker with complete skill set.
Let’s look a bit further. I’m sure something will pop up with all that Puma money in Arsène’s pockets.