Thursday 16 March 2017 10:56, UK
Romelu Lukaku says he is frustrated at Everton’s failure to land big-name signings and wants “to be remembered by winning trophies”.
Sky sources understand Lukaku, who has just over two years remaining on his current deal, has told the club he will not sign their latest contract offer, with talks between the two parties set to continue, but he has now seemingly questioned Everton's ambition and desire to land top signings.
The Belgium international has praised the club's history but says he wants to win trophies now and revealed his frustration at watching Everton miss out on signing key Premier League players.
He said: "Everton as a football club has a great history, but the future has to be written, you get me? Instead of living in the past, you have to think ahead.
"We always talk about the [Everton] teams of the 1980s and 1970s and it was great, but we want the fans talking about now. No disrespect, but you want to remembered as well. You cannot only be remembered by scoring goals, you want to be remembered by winning trophies.
"You have to think how this club has to grow, how it has to improve, which player does it want to bring in so you can challenge for the big trophies.
"Sometimes I will speak to Vincent Kompany who was at [Manchester] City when it all happened. He said, 'Rom, one summer I just came in and boom, boom, boom, boom… Robinho from there, that guy came in, this guy came in, this guy came in [clicking fingers] and then everyone was criticising them but at the end they won league titles, FA Cup here, League Cups there.
"I don't know what the board's plan is, but there were some players I knew the club could have got and they didn't, and they're playing in this league. I am not saying names, but they are doing well.
"It is a little bit frustrating but, at the end of the day, we have fantastic players. We cannot look at the others, we can only look at ourselves. We are the only ones to blame. We cannot blame the fans. We cannot blame the manager."
The 23-year-old, who is the Premier League's joint-top scorer this season alongside Harry Kane on 19 goals, believes he is one of the best strikers in the division and named the top forwards in world football he looks up to.
"I look at Luis Suarez, Robert Lewandowski, Karim Benzema, Edinson Cavani. That's it. I'm not looking at the rest. No chance," he said.
"He [Kane] is a top player and you want to see top players in the league, but I don't look at other players if they aren't going to teach me anything. If I don't have the feeling that you are going to teach me something, why should I look at you?
"I watch what they do in certain moments and I think, 'That's interesting.' I'm close to that [level], I'm close.
"At the minute, I am one of the best strikers in the league. I can't not say that. If I don't say I am one of the best I am shooting myself in the head. At the minute I am one of the best in the Premier League, 100 per cent.
"But at the end of the day fans want to see trophies, players want trophies. So we need to try more, give a bit more. You should not shy away from it. Like, if you don't win a trophy there is something that has gone wrong, because if you have the belief that you can do something, you can do it."
