Why Romelu Lukaku Would Be a Risky Signing for PSG

Romelu Lukaku is just one of a handful of strikers linked with Paris Saint-Germain in recent weeks, and the Belgium international brings up a lot of interesting issues in the French capital.

At the end of May, Neil Fissler of the Express reported that the French champions were targeting the Everton forward as a possible replacement for Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

It's easy to see why the Parisians would be interested. Lukaku scored 18 goals in 38 appearances last season, coming in a poor Everton side that struggled for large parts and eventually sacked manager Roberto Martinez.

That took his tally in England to a whopping 60 goals in 150 appearances, which for a striker who is still only 23, is a phenomenal return.

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After spells with Chelsea and West Bromwich Albion, the former Anderlecht man has found a home at Goodison Park, but with agent Mino Raiola in place, it looks like—despite Everton's ambition under new owners—Lukaku's future lies elsewhere.

"In the past, the days of West Bromwich [in 2012], I was a step away from Juventus," he recently told French magazine So Foot (h/t Joe Short of the Express). He continued:

"

But Mino Raiola told me in no uncertain terms that before such a move, I would have to be more consistent and aggressive on the field.

I am an ambitious guy, I want to win trophies, like all other players handled by Mino, like [Juventus midfielder] Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

In 2012 I won the Champions League with Chelsea, but did not want to touch it. The reason? Because I had not contributed to the victory.

"

If Champions League football is the aim, heading for PSG could be just the move that takes the Belgian to the next level. There would be pressure, though, because he would have to compete with the shadow of Zlatan Ibrahimovic hanging over him—especially after the Swede finished his last season in Paris with 38 league goals.

The rumours, such as from Loic Tanzi of Goal, are that Laurent Blanc won't be in charge next season, but until it is confirmed, we have to assume he is the man who will pick the team. And under his 4-3-3, it gives PSG a difficult situation to manage.

President Nasser Al-Khelaifi made it clear to Le Parisien after the Coupe de France win over Marseille that he believed Edinson Cavani was the top striker the club needs (h/t Goal's Alex Fisher). Many fans would beg to differ.

There is no doubt more than one striker is needed at the club—and definitely another who can play at the highest level—but PSG must be careful as to how they treat Cavani this summer.

Rush into making a big-money signing such as Lukaku, and you are telling the Uruguayan you don't have confidence in his ability to lead the line. He has already played second fiddle to Ibrahimovic for three years, so he is not going to want to feel he will only be the bridesmaid once again.

Do that, and you also risk losing the 19-goal striker this summer.

If the club is going to play with a front three, what the club needs first is a left-sided forward who will offer the same boost as Angel Di Maria did last summer.

He gave PSG a whole new dimension down the right, cutting inside to provide space down the channels and immediate danger through the middle. Another player of that ilk down the left would make the Parisians a terrifying proposition.

That would be the best way to replace Ibrahimovic at first. Then they should look at bolstering their options at centre-forward.

One mark against Lukaku would be his inexperience in the Champions League. He has played four times for Anderlecht, scoring three times, but he hasn’t featured in the competition since moving to Chelsea in 2011.

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He has played a lot of minutes in the Europa League, with 18 games for Anderlecht and nine for Everton. His goalscoring record in that competition is excellent, picking up 13 goals in just 27 games—scoring eight in nine for the Toffees.

However, with a new man at the helm, it would open up a world of possibilities. Diego Simeone was the first huge name to be linked, reported by Miguel Delaney of ESPN FC, and you would imagine he would look to implement his 4-4-1-1 formation in the French capital.

That would give PSG the option of playing Cavani beside someone such as Lukaku, but it would also allow them to use Di Maria, Lucas Moura and Javier Pastore to change things up and make them less predictable.

Lukaku would play a similar role to what Diego Costa did with Atleti, but he is easily more mobile across the attack.

Over the past few days, Unai Emery looks to have become the favourite to succeed Blanc at the Parc des Princes. Winning three straight Europa League trophies for Sevilla has seemingly caught Al-Khelaifi’s eye. Emery may not have enjoyed a league title triumph, but it’s hard to see that being a problem in France.

He has found success with Sevilla playing 4-2-3-1, and it's unlikely he would deviate away from that system—especially as it is quite similar to what the PSG players are used to.

Again, that would throw up a similar situation in which Cavani would feel threatened as the No. 1 striker. Lukaku is not going to want to make a big-money move to play as a substitute—particularly if he wants to emulate the man he would essentially be replacing.

"Ibrahimovic is an example to follow," he told Marca. "He scored 25 goals per season in Serie A, the most difficult for a striker and scored [38] for PSG last year."

He knows he is still young and has time to develop further, but that is not going to happen on the bench.

"I am happy to have a season like I have had while only being a professional for six or seven years," he added.

Especially with Raiola in tow, any move this summer would be made on the understanding that Lukaku was the first-choice forward. In a club that regularly plays with one up front, it would almost definitely cause problems in the dressing room.

Regardless of which man is in charge next season, PSG will attract and be linked with some big-name forwards. Lukaku fits the profile of someone who could become a superstar at the Parc des Princes. They just need to make sure they don’t upset Cavani—unless he is going to follow Zlatan out of the club.