Lukaku could be tempted away from Everton
ROMELU Lukaku could leave Everton if ‘certain clubs’ match the Toffees’ asking price, according to agent Mino Raiola.
United have made signing a No.9 a priority this summer with top scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic unlikely to play again in 2017 after suffering a serious knee injury.
And Lukaku, who briefly worked with Jose Mourinho at Chelsea, is a serious option after scoring 26 goals for Everton this season.
With his client having turned down a new £140,000-a-week deal in March, Raiola admits Everton could sell Lukaku - if the Reds match his asking price.
“Lukaku had a promise that if certain clubs came this summer that he could leave this summer,” Raiola told talkSPORT.
“We are not in concrete talks with anybody at this moment, but hearing the market I think some clubs will contact Everton.
“If the price is right for Everton and the project is right for Lukaku, then I think he will want to make another step, but we are not there yet.”
Everton reportedly want £100m for their prized asset, which would make Lukaku the most expensive footballer of all time.
But Raiola feels United would be getting a good deal for the 24-year-old - even though Everton signed him for ‘just’ £28m three years ago.
“In two years’ time, maybe £100million for a guy who makes 24 goals is a good deal,” he added. “I don’t know.
“The market will be ruled by the people who buy so if there is a club that needs Lukaku and thinks he is worth £100m, then Everton are right [to ask for £100m].” THE winners from United cooling their interest in Antoine Griezmann will be Juan Mata and Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
But Jose Mourinho’s two No.10s will have to up their game in one department if the Griezmann decision is not going to come back and bite the United manager on his backside.
United ditched plans to recruit Griezmann as Mourinho downgraded the need for a No.10 and upgraded the priority for a central striker due to Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s cruciate knee ligament injury.
The job of playing behind a Reds’ central hitman will now be in the hands of the Spaniard or the Armenian.
Both can be classic No.10s but under Mourinho the pair have not really had any length of time in the role.
The Old Trafford boss has preferred instead to use them in wider roles.
In the Europa League final in Stockholm, neither Mata nor Mkhitaryan lined up in the No.10 position, instead they flanked Marouane Fellaini in a midfield three behind Marcus Rashford.
Mkhitaryan had a troubled first half but popped up in the box with his over the shoulder second goal against the Dutch side.
Mata had been given the vote in the Friends Arena over Mourinho’s more recently favoured use of Jesse Lingard.
Both can function behind a man up top.
However, if they are the chosen two to fill the role Griezmann was originally identified to perform then they will have to provide Rashford, and whoever Mourinho lands as his Ibrahimovic replacement, with a better goal back up.
On the face of it, 10 goals for Mata and 11 for Mkhitaryan this season is a competent return. But they are still jointly five short of Griezmann’s 26 goals for Atletico.
But the bulk of Mkhitaryan’s contribution expertly League. The Armenian scored four in the Premier League and Mata scored six. Griezmann scored 16 in La Liga for Atletico Madrid. The goals for column in the final standings showed up United’s lack of firepower. By United’s standards 54 goals is shocking. Ninth place Bournemouth scored more. Take away Ibrahimovic’s 17-goal contribution and relegated Hull City scored as many as the Reds. United believe the errant finishing that effectively led to a damaging 15 draws, the most in the Premier League, was a one-off and abnormal season. However, it’s puzzling that Griezmann’s 26 goals for Atletico have now been essentially ignored. But whatever the reasons behind that decision, it puts the onus firmly on Mata and Mkhitaryan to deliver the goods and return United to the days when they were a potent, feared attacking force both home and abroad. came in the Europa