Everton's Romelu Lukaku Not Ready for Manchester United Transfer Yet

As reports surfaced suggesting Manchester United were interested in signing Everton striker Romelu Lukaku, per Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News, opinions were split.

On the one hand, the Belgian powerhouse is the kind of player that has become synonymous with the Red Devils in the Premier League era. He’s young, dynamic and, as last season’s 20-goal haul illustrates in earnest, a major attacking force.

But at times Lukaku looked ponderous, raw and lazy in Everton blue last year. As of yet, the 22-year-old has yet to deliver on the stratospheric potential he showcased after he barged onto the scene at Anderlecht, and Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho was happy to relinquish the player’s services for a fee of £28 million.

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So where does the truth lie when it comes to this unique young player? World-class goalscorer in the making? Or another over-hyped forward destined to fall by the wayside?

One undeniable fact when it comes to Lukaku is his pedigree in front of goal. In Premier League football, sticking chances away is notoriously difficult, but the Belgian has made it look decidedly simple during his time at both West Bromwich Albion on loan and Everton.

As we can see here courtesy of EPL Stat Man, in the last three seasons, there are only a trio of illustrious names that have netted more times than Lukaku:

Any Evertonian will tell you that if the Belgian gets appropriate service, he’ll do the business. So to score 20 goals for a Toffees side who were staggeringly bereft of creativity in their attacking play last season makes for a remarkable return at first glance

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But as a £28 million acquisition, there’s a point to be made that Lukaku, goals or otherwise, must shoulder some of the blame for Everton’s demise in 2014-15.

The Toffees had to encounter so many teams content with sitting deep and restricting space last season. Sadly for the Belgian, his lethargic runs, unwillingness to contest physical confrontations and erratic hold-up play almost render him invalid in those territorial encounters. Indeed, often the more possession Everton have, the more marginalised Lukaku becomes.

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It’s probably why Mourinho was happy to let him go, knowing Chelsea would encounter teams regularly looking to condense the play. Lukaku needs the pitch to open up to be at his very best and it’s no surprise his best performances in a blue shirt have come against opposition like Arsenal, Wolfsburg and Young Boys; teams looking to attack Everton and subsequently leaving space to be exploited

There are plenty who have even cast aspersions about his goal return too. Nine of his 20 came against West Ham United and Young Boys last season after all, and as Everton toiled in the latter stages of the Premier League season, so did Lukaku, per Bleacher Report’s Matt Cheetham:

There has already been talk from Toffees coaches about the team playing to the Belgian’s strengths next season, though, as Everton's soporific, side-to-side passing did little to accentuate the attributes of their record signing.

“Certainly any balls into space, he [Lukaku] is world class,” said Everton assistant manager Graeme Jones, per Adam Jones of the Liverpool Echo. “If we can feed him a little bit more, which will be the idea next season, there will be more goals to come from him.”

But if Lukaku is to fulfil his ambitions—he told Het Laatste Nieuws (h/t ESPN.com) last year that he wants to reach the levels of former Toffee Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo— the basic fundamentals of his game need to be refined.

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“We’ve spoken quite a lot about his back-to-goal play,” said Jones. “It’s not something that comes natural to him, even though he has improved this season.”

But if these inherent traits don’t come natural to him now at 22 years of age, will they ever? After all, when Rooney first burst onto the scene as a 16-year-old at Goodison Park, the nonchalant feel for the ball which has become a hallmark of his game was already prevalent. 

Lukaku is in a much more precarious position at this juncture and it's why he's not ready to move to a European juggernaut like United yet.

At this stage of his career, some stability is key; let's not forget, this is a young man who has been through plenty as a footballer. He’s already played for four clubs, has had to cope with the expectation which accompanies a £28 million move to one of English football’s most prestigious sides and, tragically, had to cope with the death of close friend and Belgian team-mate Junior Malanda early in 2015.

Nonetheless, all the pieces are in place for Lukaku and arguably the most important facet of any forward's game is already entrenched in his make-up: goalscoring. Caveat the figure how you like, but 20 goals is a fine return for a 22-year-old striker. In an Everton side bidding to rediscover their swagger in 2015-16, that tally is only going to be enriched.

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It’s easy to forget just how young he is too. As noted by Archie Rhind-Tutt of BT Sport earlier in the season, Lukaku fares well in comparison to another quality forward at the same age:

There are few Evertonians who expect Lukaku to see out the five-year deal he signed last summer. A strong season consolidated by some sparkling showings at the European Championships in 2016 would surely see an elite side come in with big money for the striker, who will only be 23 by the time the tournament in France concludes.

But for now, Goodison Park is the best nurturing ground for Lukaku and after a summer of overdue replenishment, the platform is there to push on. Of course, much of the Belgian’s fortunes will hinge on Everton recapturing their effervescent best, but it’s imperative Lukaku shows a renewed initiative if he's to reach the world-class standards so many expected him to scale.