• Striker has rejected new five-year deal at Goodison Park • Lukaku: ‘Instead of living in the past, you have to think ahead’

Romelu Lukaku has questioned whether Everton share his ambitions to win trophies and play Champions League football after informing the club this week that he has no desire to sign a new contract at Goodison Park.

Romelu Lukaku stuns Everton with decision to reject new contract Read more

Everton offered Lukaku fresh terms and a new five-year deal but the Belgium striker has rejected the deal that would have made him the best-paid player in the club’s history.

While acknowledging progress under the major shareholder, Farhad Moshiri, and the manager, Ronald Koeman, the 23-year-old Lukaku believes the club have missed out on signing players to Premier League rivals that could have seen them challenge for “big trophies”.

“Obviously, stuff is changing and stuff is happening but there were some players that we could have got, that I knew the club could have got, and they didn’t get,” Lukaku said at a Kick It Out event at Everton’s training ground on Wednesday. “And they are playing in this league. I am not saying names but they are doing well.

“Everton as a football club has a great history. But the future has to be written. You get me? Because we always talk about the teams of the 80s and 70s, and if you look it was great. But we as players, we want the fans talking about us instead of us talking about them.

“You want to be remembered as well. No matter where you play you want to be remembered. You cannot only be remembered by scoring goals, you want to be remembered by winning trophies.

“That is what the fans want. So instead of living in the past, you have to think ahead. How this club has to grow, how this club has to improve, which player does it want to bring in so you can challenge for the big trophies?”

Talks to extend his current contract – due to expire at the end of next summer – had been ongoing between the club, Lukaku and his agent, Mino Raiola, before the start of this season. Raiola claimed a deal was 99.9% done until Lukaku stunned the club’s hierarchy with his U-turn after training on Tuesday.

The former Chelsea striker, the joint top-scorer in the Premier League, believes he can be one of the world’s best forwards. “Definitely,” he said. “But to do that, you need the platform to show yourself. Then you are talking about Champions League and whatever types of games. I don’t want to go into details on that but you just follow the path that is in front of you. Whatever type of situation, I just try to deliver.

“You want to show who is best. But as a team you want to be the best. I want my team to be the best. I want my team to be the most attractive to play in the league. The big aim in football is to win as many titles as you can.”