Romelu Lukaku is keen on joining Arsenal but Arsene Wenger will have to meet Everton’s £50m asking price for the striker, according to Mirror.
Wenger is on the lookout to sign a new front man ahead of next season after missing out on Jamie Vardy who chose to remain at Kings Power Stadium and signed a new deal last week.
Last week it was reported by Daily Star that Arsenal have opened talks with Everton over a potential deal to sign the Belgian international and Italian journalist Emanuele Giulianelli suggested over the weekend that Lukaku had agreed personal terms with the Gunners.
However, Giulianelli who works for Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport has now claimed that, despite the 23-year-old’s willing to move, any potential deal is unlikely after Everton claims they want £50m for Lukaku’s signature. He said:
“Arsenal aren’t too optimistic after hearing they’d have to pay £50m for Lukaku to Everton.
“Informal contact was made yesterday between Arsenal and Everton but in my opinion the deal won’t progress despite Lukaku wanting the move.”
If Everton are demanding for £50m, I suggest we go get someone else. Lukaku is highly talent and he has proved he could become a world-class striker after netting 25 goals for a poor Everton side last season. His experience in the Premier League could give Olivier Giroud a strong completion.
Lukaku has vast experience of playing in the Premier League where he has been playing for the last five seasons and he is still very young enough to learn and improve further.
Lukaku’s agent Raiola also suggested that the Belgian international was in the class of Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic and would therefore attract wages in addition to a transfer price of around £70 million that very few clubs in the world can offer.
Looking at it from this angle, to be sincere in today’s crazy market Lukaku is worth £50m. Everton are obviously looking to do everything they can to get the deal done if they have to sell and they are under no pressure to sell on the cheap after being taken over by a billionaire businessman.
The Belgian international has got the potential to be a world-class hit-man, maybe we should go for him if the price involved is around £35m, but anything higher I think we’ll see Wenger setting his sight on other options.
