Let’s not beat around the bush, Romelu Lukaku is quite the striker and he has talent to burn.

The Belgian has never been too far away from the goals since his Everton switch, yet 2016-17 has proven the mother of all purple patches. It’s lifted a great deal of pressure off the shoulders of Ronald Koeman but given him quite the headache, as well.

With top Premier League sides such as Chelsea believed to be interested, the Toffees could be set for a sleepless summer. Given his record against big teams, though, the Blues should be wary before opening their wallet.

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Phenomenal season

Everton may not have started the season in spectacular form, yet they’re truly entering their element under Koeman now.

The Toffees are now six points from the top four and within touching distance of both Arsenal and Manchester United. The 4-0 thrashing of Manchester City proved a particular highlight in the club’s mid-season resurgence.

A great deal of credit, naturally, must be accredited to Lukaku. The Belgian is comfortably the Premier League’s top scorer with 21 strikes to his name and a satisfying six assists to boot.

This sees the 23-year-old outscoring prolific strikers such as Harry Kane, Alexis Sanchez, Diego Costa and a certain Sergio Aguero.

As a result, it’s no surprise that rumours of a Goodison Park exit have begun to circulate once again. For all of Everton’s recent form, there is great reason to suggest he could cut it at a Champions League club.

Chelsea, on almost all accounts, appear to be the front runners for his signature. Given the three-year spell they shared between 2011 and 2014, history and economic brawn sees the west London side prove the logical choice.

Moreover, Costa is slowly creeping towards his thirties and Antonio Conte may be looking for a younger alternative to inherit the mantle. After all, Michy Batshuayi has hardly proved the deputy that many hoped he would be.

Worrying statistic

It seems a match made in heaven, right? As highlight by the research of the Mirror, though, Lukaku’s record against the big teams is perhaps a cause for concern.

The 23-year-old has scored 21 times in the league this season, yet a hearty 16 of them have come against the bottom 10 sides in the table. Hat tricks against struggling Bournemouth and Sunderland certainly serve to inflate his goal tally.



In addition, a great number of his finishes have come very late in games with Everton often leading at the time. As many as 10 strikes have emerged in the last 10 minutes of fixtures for the brutish Belgian.

Therefore, while Lukaku’s brilliant goal scoring record should never be tarnished, Chelsea should slow down before becoming mesmerised by the raw statistics.

Conte will need to have a few training sessions with the Everton man to ensure he can dismantle the strongest back fours both domestically and in Europe. Costa would certainly prove an effective role model, however.

Consequently, not only will Chelsea face an uphill battle to recover their old striker but a potential struggle to help him raise his game to the club’s high standards.

Let’s hope Blues fans haven’t become too accustomed to quick-fixes and instant impacts, after all.

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