In a shocking interview last month, Romelu Lukaku all but confirmed that he would be leaving Goodison Park this summer. The announcement sent shockwaves around the club, but many a fan agreed with his sentiment. The Belgian basically implied that the Toffees weren’t being ambitious enough with their signings.
After rejecting a new contract offer from the club, it looks as though the 23-year old will be moving to greener pastures in the summer. It’s rumoured that Real Madrid, Chelsea and Arsenal are some of the clubs interested in taking him on.
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When the star striker leaves, it’ll leave a gaping hole up front for Ronald Koeman. Such a massive hole can only be filled by a name of similar stature.
Here are 5 strikers who could replace Romelu Lukaku at Everton.
#5 Kevin Gameiro
For some unknown reason, the 29-year old Frenchman seems to get overlooked all the time. But if you look closely at the numbers, he’s one of Europe’s most underrated gems.
In 26 La Liga games, Kevin Gameiro has contributed to 15 goals for Atletico Madrid. The striker is clinical, good at holding up the ball and always seems to make the right passes. He’d be a revelation in the Premier League.
However, standing tall at only 5’8, Gameiro struggles a lot in aerial duels, something Lukaku thrives in. Apart from that, Gameiro can provide everything Lukaku can, plus more. The Frenchman is easily a player that could excel at a Chelsea or Manchester City, however, due to his age and size, clubs have been scared to take a punt on him.
#4 Manolo Gabbiadini
After making his craft for Napoli in Serie A, Manolo Gabbiadini was granted his dream move to the Premier League. Since his arrival, the Italian has scored four goals in four Premier League appearances.
On top of that, he scored an amazing brace against Manchester United in the League Cup final. Ever since that performance, the 25-year old’s stock has risen exponentially.
A striker of such quality doesn’t deserve to be 10th in the Premier League, he’s destined for much greater things. There’s a revolution happening at Goodison Park and the signing of Manolo Gabbiadini would set that revival in motion at a rapid rate.
Gabbiadini links up well with others, has a great long shot and can take vicious free-kicks. He has all the tools to succeed in an organised & efficient Ronald Koeman team.
#3 Christian Benteke
Despite now playing for three Premier League teams, Christian Benteke has still not found a club he can call home. Stints at Aston Villa, Liverpool & Crystal Palace have shown the world why the Belgian is so in demand, but have done nothing to take him to that next level.
This season the Belgian has contributed to a goal every 196 minutes in a poor Palace team.
Physically, Benteke is a like for like replacement for Lukaku. In terms of physical size, the Palace forward sits at 6 foot 3, weighing in at 183 lbs. This would mean Romelu’s physical presence up front wouldn’t be missed at all.
As well as that, Benteke possesses a better first touch than his Belgian counterpart, he also works harder off the ball. Some would argue against this but, if Christian Benteke were to replace Romelu Lukaku at Goodison Park, it’d be an upgrade.
#2 Wayne Rooney
Whether we want to accept it or not, Wayne Rooney is one of the greatest Premier League players ever. The man has won the Premier League five times, the FA Cup and the Champions League once. He’s done it all and such a storied career deserves a fairy-tale ending.
The 16-year old who scored a 25-yarder against Arsenal on his Everton debut needs to go back to his boyhood club and remake such moments. Wayne Rooney’s career deserves to end in the most famous league in the World, not in the CSL or MLS.
If Manchester United truly don’t want to keep their most famous player, they should at least allow him to go back to his childhood club, and help make Everton great again. Funnily enough, a signing like this is exactly what Romelu Lukaku was complaining about in the first place.
#1 Alexandre Lacazette
The Olympique Lyon striker has been the centre of attention in transfer rumours recently. The 25-year old has been linked to everyone from Manchester United to Real Madrid to West Ham United.
If he can be linked to West Ham, there’s no reason as to why Everton couldn’t go out and get him. If Everton could sell Romelu for a fee in excess of £60m, they could easily reinvest such funds in the Lyon forward.
If Ronald Koeman is serious about taking Everton into the top 4, this is the kind of signing they must make. Lacazette has amazingly scored 23 goals in 23 Ligue 1 games for Lyon, making him the league’s 2nd top scorer.
The Frenchman is a player of many talents, not only can he be the focal point of an attack he can act as a creator on the flanks. Such versatility is needed in the modern game as teams look to adapt to different tactical approaches.
Also Read: Five clubs who should target Romelu Lukaku in the summer
