Three Replacements For Romelu Lukaku Who Everton Can Target
Romelu Lukaku’s future at Everton has been a subject of much speculation ever since the 24-year old rejected a new contract offer from the Merseysiders a few months back.
The Belgian has just a little over 12 months left on his existing deal with the club and Everton are trying their best to get him to agree on a new deal, but it seems like Lukaku has his sights set somewhere else. The former Chelsea striker was one of the primary driving forces in Everton finishing the season placed 7th in the Premier League, leading to a place in the qualifiers of the UEFA Europa League for next season.
Lukaku ended the league campaign with 25 strikes to his name – the second highest, behind Golden Boot winner Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur. Over the past few years, he has grown into one of the most lethal marksmen in the Premier League and looks set for a big-money move in the summer.
With Lukaku’s exit almost a certainty, here are three replacements that Everton can look at, to replace him in the summer:
Anthony Modeste
The 29-year old was excellent for German side FC Koln, helping his team to a 5th-placed finish in the Bundesliga. Modeste finished the season with 25 goals from 34 league games and also registered 3 assists, finishing as the 3rd highest goal-getter in the league behind Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (31) and Robert Lewandowski (30).
The Frenchman is tall and strong and uses his body to good effect to hold up the ball and bring his teammates into play and is a good header of the ball too. He also possesses a decent turn of pace which makes him a threat from counter-attacks. His short stint in England with Blackburn Rovers back in 2011 did not go well, but he is a much-improved player now and can fill in the void that Lukaku would leave behind.
Michy Batshuayi
The 23-year old Chelsea striker is as close a replacement to Lukaku as Everton can get. Batshuayi is very similar to Lukaku in more than one ways. He has the pace, the power, the finishing abilities in front of goal that can make him an explosive forward.
The Belgian international has been given the opportunities at Stamford Bridge this season and has demonstrated his capability each time when he got on the pitch. He finished the season with 9 goals across all competitions – including the winner against West Bromwich Albion that sealed the title win for Chelsea. With the World Cup not very far away, he might be willing to consider a move away in search of regular football and he could be Lukaku’s heir at the Goodison Park.
Vincent Aboubakar
The Besiktas striker is someone who Everton have scouted in the past and may look at in the summer if Lukaku leaves (The Sun). Aboubakar had a strong campaign with the Turkish giants as he finished with 18 goals and 4 assists from 36 appearances across all competitions.
A top notch dribbler of the ball, the Cameroonian has the pace and skills with the ball at his feet to cause problems to the opposition backline. His aerial ability is another strong feature of his game. And with his ability to play on the wings, he will provide Koeman with an element of versatility too. Aboubakar may not be the biggest name that the fans want, but he is more than capable of delivering in a big way for the Toffees.