Such is the monster form of Everton striker Romelu Lukaku that not even new investment in other players or improved contract terms would be able to keep him when the big European powerhouses come calling for his services, manager Roberto Martinez has said.
The manager used the Cristiano Ronaldo analogy who was sold in a then world record transfer to Real Madrid in 2009 despite the deep pockets of Manchester United.
Martinez said Lukaku’s brace during Everton’s 2-0 win over the Belgian striker’s former club Chelsea was world class in quality, but added such performances only increase the likelihood of strong transfer interest in the summer.
Everton have been the beneficiaries of new investment from new majority shareholder and billionaire Farhad Moshiri, but Martinez said if Manchester United could be tempted to sell Cristiano Ronaldo, then no-one at any Premier League club was safe from admirers.
“It was probably one of best pieces of quality you will see in the FA Cup. That goal is as sweet as you’re ever going to see,” he said.
“In any season the only thing that matters is what happens from now until the end of the campaign. I said many times Cristiano Ronaldo was sold by Manchester United so if Manchester United cannot keep Cristiano Ronaldo that is a sign of a modern game.
“If you sell a player for those sort of amounts I think you can get the benefit of adding three or four players in your squad.
“It is down to recruitment, bringing the right characters and I think we have done that for the last three years.”
Despite that, Martinez is excited for the times ahead under Moshiri and chairman Bill Kenwright.
“We have got big projects and I’m sure that Mr Moshiri mentioned that we are going to sit down in the summer and make a decision with what the next step is with Goodison, a new ground or developing Goodison,” he said.
“We want to be a Champions League club, with a winning team and that is what every Evertonian wants to do.
“We have to go step by step and carry on performing like we did against Chelsea.”
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