Romelu Lukaku has questioned whether Everton have the ambition and resources to elevate themselves to the top tier of European football.
Lukaku plunged his future into doubt when he this week told the Goodison board he does want to sign a new contract. He has now offered an insight into why he does not want to commit beyond his current deal in 2018.
The Belgian striker is desperate to play in the Champions League and win major honours. Although he recognises significant investment since the arrival of major shareholder Farhad Moshiri, he is craving more.
“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,” said Lukaku. “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.
“No disrespect, but you know what I mean. 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? Sometimes I will speak to Vincent Kompany who was at Manchester City when it all happened. He said, ‘Rom, one summer I just came in and boom, boom, boom, boom... Robinho from there, that guy came in, this guy came in, this guy came in (clicking fingers)’ and then everyone was criticising them, but at the end league titles, FA Cup here, League Cup there. That is what we want as players.
“If you don’t win a trophy there is something that has gone wrong because if you have the belief that you can do something, you can do it. Nothing is going to stop you. That is how I think. Sometimes in my games I am like, ‘today it is going to happen’. And it happens. Sometimes it doesn’t happen but at least you have to give it a go.”
Asked directly if he felt Everton’s board was ambitious enough, Lukaku said: “I don’t know, I don’t know what the board’s plan is. I don’t really know."
He added: “We want the best for the club because we have great facilities, good fans. An example like Everton in the Community who work hard and you have a good bunch of lads.
“But at the end of the day fans want to see trophies, players want trophies so we need to try more, give a bit more. That is the only thing I would say. You should not shy away from it.”
Lukaku rates himself as one of English football’s premier strikers. He wants to be on the same stage as more elite peers.
“Suarez, Lewandowski, Benzema. Cavani. That’s it. I’m not looking at the rest. No chance,” said Lukaku, who was speaking during a coaching event with Everton in Community’s girls’ pan-disability team.
“I watch what they do in certain moments and I think ‘that’s interesting’.
“I’m close. At the minute I am one of the best strikers in the league. If I don’t say that I am one of the best I am shooting myself in the head. At the minute I am one of the best in the Premier League, 100 per cent.”
Lukaku was asked if he can be one of the world’s best.
“Definitely. But to do that, you need the platform to show yourself,” he said. “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.
“I’m really happy but I can’t say that I am overjoyed. There have been parts that we could have done better. We have a team that has a lot of quality and a lot of ability but we let ourselves down before Christmas. One win in 10 games? That’s where we let ourselves down.
“At the time we were adapting to the way the manager wants us to play. When you play in a certain way for a number of years, then there is change to the system, then for us it is difficult to adapt. You are used to training a certain way. Your body is used to certain things.
“Now it is a totally different regime. Ok, now we are doing well. Everyone is happy. But we have to become stronger, we have to become technically and tactically better. We have to start winning big games. That is what it is all about.”
Lukaku says, but for Koeman, he would have sought a move last summer.
“If I didn’t think I would have learnt something from him I probably would have left,” he said. “I probably would have said, ‘You know what, I don’t have the energy or whatever’.
“But from our first conversations when I was at the Euros in France they were really honest, we spoke a few times and he explained how he wanted to play, how he expected things and stuff and I was just listening to what he had to say. I told the manager it will take a few weeks, but once I get it, don’t worry, it will be fine.”
Everton face Hull this weekend and Lukaku is aware some fans will not take kindly to this week’s development, but he feels his commitment when in a blue shirt can not be questioned.
“We have got 10 games left. That is 10 finals for me,” he said. “I hope that is the same for the rest of the team. I’m sure we will make the best out of them. The last 10 games of the season I think ‘bring it on, lets go’.”
Everton will continue to meet Lukaku’s agent, Mino Raiola, but it will now require a massive u-turn from the 23-year-old striker to extend his contract. He has been offered £140,000 a week, which would make him the highest-paid player in Everton’s history.
