Romelu Lukaku's future discussed by Sunday Supplement panel
Sunday 27 March 2016 18:34, UK
Everton forward Romelu Lukaku is right to look for Champions League football next season, according to The Sun’s deputy head of sport Martin Lipton.
Lukaku cast doubt on his Everton future after telling Sky Sports News HQ that the Champions League is the "next step" for him, with Roberto Martinez's side 13 points behind Manchester City in the final top-four qualification spot.
Speaking on the Sunday Supplement, Lipton believes Lukaku can still improve as a player, but has the quality to play at the highest level.
"He feels he should be playing in the Champions League and he's probably right," Lipton said. "Look at his goals. I'm sure he wouldn't be unhappy to do it at Everton, but that's not going to happen next season.
"He's been excellent since he moved there and scored lots of goals. He's a top player and a goalscorer, and he's still learning and growing as a player.
"It's interesting that Chelsea looked at him and didn't fancy him under a couple of different managers. Jose Mourinho decided he was surplus to requirements when they brought in Diego Costa, and I wonder what Chelsea fans think of that now."
Lukaku - who left Chelsea permanently in 2014 - has scored 43 league goals for Everton and, of players under the age of 23 in European football's five major leagues, only Tottenham's Harry Kane has more goals this season.
It is a record that has prompted speculation he could leave Goodison Park in the summer, with the player's father suggesting Manchester United or Bayern Munich could be options for his son.
Chelsea, who are 10 points off fourth with eight games remaining, have also been linked with a bid to re-sign their former player, but The Times' Alyson Rudd says they don't have a chance because they are unlikely to be playing Champions League football next season.
"Chelsea are not going to buy him back because they're not in the Champions League so he won't go there," Rudd said. "In 20 years' time when we look back at the career of Jose Mourinho, hopefully for him the massive blip this year at Chelsea will look odd and out of place.
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"Most of the decisions he makes seem to be the right ones, and if all Lukaku needed was an arm around the shoulder, I don't see why you can't give a player that.
"That seemed to be the message coming out of Stamford Bridge. A young player misses one penalty, his head goes down and you give up on him? I don't see the logic at all."
Lipton also urged Lukaku to pay attention to fellow Belgian striker Christian Benteke's experience at Liverpool. Benteke has struggled since making the move from Aston Villa.
"Look at Christian Benteke, he thrives when he's told how great he is but he's found it much harder to cope with the goldfish bowl at Liverpool, where there's much more expectation on him," he added.
"It may be that Lukaku is better out of the spotlight, and we'll find out when he gets under the spotlight. At this juncture we don't really know because he didn't play enough for Chelsea. The only thing you remember is when he walked up and missed the penalty in the Super Cup final."
