How can we keep Lukaku?

Before the match on Saturday Lukaku gave an honest interview which once again reiterated his desire to play Champions League football and that if he left, he hoped it would be a deal that would benefit both parties.

Since the sale of Wayne Rooney I’ve tried to not get too attached to any player in case they are to leave. The likes of Mikel Arteta was given Evertonians best wishes as, for a team outside of those much heralded top four spots, you always leave yourself vulnerable to your best players leaving.

It’s the same case for Lukaku, if he is to leave in the summer, he could hardly be blamed. Especially after games like Saturday where he was isolated all game and had almost nothing to feed off. He is going to be one of the world’s best strikers and we need to do everything in our power to make sure that he fulfils all that potential at Goodison Park and not away from it.

It was hoped with this season that the club could progress and challenge for those top four spots and give those emerging talents at the club hope that we would be able to offer them Champions League football sooner rather than later. This season though has been a miserable one. It’s going to be hard to convince Romelu Lukaku to stay at the club if we can’t even make to top half of the table.

So how can we convince him to stay? Well he still is on a contract until 2019 but if we don’t improve then it’s unlikely that he’ll sign a new one. At least not a new one without a buyout clause, but it at least does give us some strength to be able to resist bids that we don’t see as sufficient. There are also a finite amount of clubs who would be able to afford Lukaku and offer him the Champions Football he needs. He’s not yet a big enough name for Real Madrid, Barcelona are sorted as are Bayern Munich. Arsenal aren’t big enough, Man City have Aguero and Chelsea and Man Utd are unlikely to be in the Champions League next season and Juventus have their own great striking talent in Dybala. Lukaku will be good enough to play for one of those sides in the future and we should be able to convince him that if he is to leave Everton, it should only be to the very top step. His contact and the needs of other clubs should at least give us another season.

Farhad Moshiri has lightened the hearts of all Evertonians with promise of new investment and it is hoped that this in turn will help us keep hold of our best players. If Everton are building towards a new future then it’s one that hopefully Lukaku will be a part of. If we can get a few good signings in then hopefully the likes of Lukaku will see signs of something to stay for.

Martinez has failed horribly in the past two seasons and while he was the one who brought Lukaku in, it could be his poor management that sees him leave. Hopefully this time next year I am writing about an exciting Everton season, challenging towards the top end of the season with Barkley, Stones and Lukaku all playing vital roles.