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Arsenal: Unsettled Romelu Lukaku Would Be Ground-Shaking Signing
Romelu Lukaku has rejected a new contract from Everton, opening the door for a summer transfer. If Arsenal could sign him, it would be a ground-shaking move.
Arsenal’s search for a striker last summer was relatively unsuccessful. It started with spurned advances for Jamie Vardy; the Leicester City striker rejecting the move thanks to stylistic concerns when playing in Arsene Wenger’s slower, possession-orientated style.
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That was early in the summer. After the Vardy move fell through, though, there were significant rumours linking the Gunners with an array of other options. An approach for Alvaro Morata was ultimately thwarted by Real Madrid exercising their buy-back clause, a £29 million bid for Alexandre Lacazette was rejected, while Karim Benzema was always an unlikely possibility that would not die amid the tabloid transfer rumour mill.
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Eventually, only Lucas Perez was signed and, while the Spaniard has impressed in the limited time that he has enjoyed on the pitch, it has been Alexis Sanchez that has led the line for the majority of the season, interspersed by a light sprinkle of Olivier Giroud at the crucial times. With the future of the Chilean far from certain and other internal options either underwhelming or unreliable thanks to injury, further investment in this position is likely needed in the summer.
That brings me to Everton’s Romelu Lukaku. The Belgian beast has been sensational yet again for the Merseyside club this season, establishing himself as one of the hottest young strikers in European football. In his career, Lukaku has scored an impressive 158 goals, for both club and country. He turns 24 in May.
At the same stage in their respective careers, Lionel Messi had scored 186, Ronaldo 118 and Luis Suarez 115. Lukaku, playing in the Premier League, unlike Suarez in the Dutch league and Messi in a Barcelona team head and shoulders superior to their La Liga competition, has a truly world class goal scoring rate.
And now, during a Premier League season in which he has scored 19 goals – a total that is matched only by Harry Kane – in 28 games, Lukaku has just rejected Everton’s latest contract offer. He has made no secret of his career dreams to play in the Champions League, something that the Toffees cannot currently offer him.
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Should Arsenal make a move for Lukaku in the summer, there is no doubt that he would be interested in securing a transfer to North London. He would not come cheap and there would be some severe competition from many other top clubs around Europe. But it would be a truly ground-shaking signing.