Thursday 16 March 2017 12:49, UK
Ronald Koeman cannot blame Romelu Lukaku for wanting to leave Everton because he would do the same thing himself if the right opportunity arose, the Premier League Daily panel say.
The Belgium international, who has just over two years remaining on his current deal, has informed the club he does not intend to sign their latest contract offer, prompting speculation he will leave this summer.
Lukaku, who is the Premier League joint top-scorer alongside Harry Kane with 19 goals, expressed his frustration on Tuesday at Everton's failure to land big-name signings and questioned the club's ambition.
And Peter Beagrie, who played for Everton from 1989 to 1994, feels Toffees' boss Koeman would be tempted to leave himself if a big European club came calling.
"Obviously Lukaku has found this vein of form under Koeman, who plays to his strengths and has made him the central figure," Beagrie told Premier League Daily.
"Everything is geared towards getting him towards goal with the ball in front of him bearing down on the goalkeeper.
"But Koeman is also looking to progress - all ambitious people are. Ronald Koeman might not be there. And there is the scenario.
"We berate players for a lack of ambition. Lukaku is showing ambition but we say they are being greedy.
"If one of the top teams in Europe came knocking on the door of Ronald Koeman or there was a telephone call I can guarantee his head would be turned. It is as simple as that.
"Why should it be different for a player?"
Former England international Stuart Pearce believes Lukaku's agent, Mino Raiola, holds the key to any deal for Lukaku and says Everton must appease him to have any hope of keeping the player.
"You have got to convince the player by your actions and by the team's results as a manager that his future lies at the club," Pearce said.
"That one-to-one relationship is vitally important. Convincing the agent and making sure the agent's package is right as well is very important.
"In this day and age, if you disregard the agent you are in trouble. The agents guide the players, not the other way around. When I used to play and used to work with an agent I told my agent what club I wanted to play for.
"From Ronald Koeman's point of view you have to juggle a multitude of plates all in one go and make sure you keep your best stars.
"With Ronald Koeman as well - and I don't know him so I am speaking solely personally here - I have a feeling that he might have an eye on a bigger club. Whether that comes into the dynamics of it I don't know."
Since the arrival of major shareholder Farhad Moshiri in February last year, Everton have been active in the transfer market, bringing in Yannick Bolasie, Morgan Schneiderlin, Ashley Williams, Ademola Lookman and Idrissa Gueye among others.
The club are also making progress on a deal to construct a new "state-of-the-art" waterfront stadium in Liverpool.
And Beagrie feels convincing Lukaku to stay would be a major statement of intent on the extent of the club's future ambitions.
"Everton are in really good shape now," Beagrie continued. "When you look at the days of overachieving under David Moyes when they finished fifth and qualified for Europe on a shoestring budget, Everton were not able to go to the next level.
"That is what they are pushing for now. They have got a level of investment to do that.
"I think a lot of the fans will applaud him because he is only echoing what they are thinking. They will want to know now if this is real investment and whether they are in a position to push the teams above them.
"If they are in that position then sign Lukaku up and promise him players."
