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Should they stay?

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I would sell Lukaku. I would hold out for £100 million but if not as long as the offer was above £70 million I would say reasonable profit. As long as the 2 new strikers get 28 goals combined which is what Rom and Valencia managed it doesn't matter if neither of them is as good. Also if one of them shows up for big games it would be an improvement. If you have 2 strikers not quite as good it's easier to rotate so you can play different ways and teams can't just set up to stop one player.

With regards to Barkley I think he should have signed but has now shot himself in the foot. We've brought in a replacement and now he's looking at a real fight to start games if he stays. I would also sell. We could get anything between £25-40 million.
 

AndyC said:
AndyC submitted an update to GrandOldTeam's homepage

Should they stay?
lukakubarkley-1024x461.jpg



In early May, I ran an article musing whether we should prepare for life after Ross Barkley and Romelu Lukaku…

In light of the staggering, by normal Everton standards, transfer activity of the last few days, maybe we need to pose the title question above.

Last January, Ronald Koeman executed a cull of fringe players.

His intention was clear, the squad was not good enough and it needed cleansing.

He shallowed the depth of the squad, reduced the salary bill, but in so doing paved the way for the summer transfer window that hasn’t officially opened yet.

There’s still departures to oversee – Aiden McGeady for sure, possibly Gerard Deulofeu and probably one of Maarten Stekelenburg or Joel Robles.

Last season saw a definite improvement in home results, we finished four places higher and qualified for the Europa League – better, but still more to do and be done.

Romelu Lukaku has said he knows where he’ll play next season.

He has repeatedly expressed his desire to play in the Champions League, and Everton have for too long looked light years from qualifying and meeting that desire.



If he’s serious about leaving then his agent better find someone with very, very deep pockets as Everton made it clear that we value him at circa £100 million.

Everton don’t need or have to do anything – he’s contracted to us for two more seasons.

And if you read the rumour and gossip columns, other than Chelsea, allegedly, there are no other serious suitors.

Antonio Conte, allegedly, wants him having text Diego Costa to say ‘Arrivederci’, but Chelsea, allegedly, are not willing to meet our valuation.

So, when Rom said he knows where he’ll be playing next season, and said it with a knowing smirk on his face…

Is it pure and ill-placed optimism that maybe, just maybe he’s opted to stay and fight for the right to play Champions League football with Everton?

Lukaku has previously challenged Everton to match his desire to play in the Champions League and we’ve previously come some way short of matching that desire.

Enter Farhad Moshiri, Steve Walsh and Ronald Koeman and last summer, we made some signings.



Gana Gueye, Bolasie and Williams raised expectation levels that weren’t realised and even the January addition of Schneiderlin wasn’t enough to see Everton threaten the top four places.

Much has been said about the need to make ‘signing statements’, ‘splash the cash’ and ‘nett spend’ etc and there’s been much discussion, conjecture and even argument here on Grand Old Team, and no doubt everywhere else.

The last week though has seen something of a return to days of the John Moores Mersey Millionaires.

Back then, we joked that if you played well against Everton, we bought you.

Well in the space of less than a week, Everton have made statement signings and splashed the cash acquiring arguably the best young goalie in England in Jordan Pickford and an established Dutch international and until Thursday captain of Ajax, Davy Klaassen.



Sandro Ramirez, ex of Barcelona and currently a Malaga winger, flew in for talks and flew out again… with the Everton medical not too far behind, we are not to be denied.



M’Baye Niang of AC Milan and a loanee at Watford least season is, allegedly, still on the radar and the rumours of Michael Keane (Burnley)and Gylfi Sigurdsson (Swansea) get stronger and stronger by the hour.

And we stress, the window hasn’t officially opened yet!

Let’s assume for a moment that Ramirez, Keane and Sigurdsson sign on – will that be the end of the summer shopping, I very much doubt it.

Now to Ross Barkley, our home-grown diamond in the rough.



What exactly is going on, nobody outside of the very inner sanctum of the club knows for sure.

At times last season, Ross looked superb.

At other times, he looked lost and bewildered.

Does Koeman really see Barkley as a key, integral part of the Everton under his charge for (at least) the next two seasons… and does Ross see himself as a squad player for Koeman?

He’s signing midfielders in Klaassen and possibly Sigurdsson and they’ll supplement Gana Gueye, Schneiderlin, Tom Davies, Kevin Mirallas and even Gareth Barry… and we haven’t mentioned any of the players champing at the bit from David Unsworths’ title winning squad.



Does Ross feel threatened by the influx of players in his part of the field and therefore his future will be best served elsewhere ?

Or…

Will both Ross Barkley and Romelu Lukaku look at these early, early signings and think to themselves, “Hey, this looks exciting. I want to be a part of this”.



On top of the signings already made and strongly rumoured, if Ross re-signed and Rom committed to stay, that would make for the genuine statements of intent from Everton that the fans have been pleading for.
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Good read that Andy.
Been mulling over them since we started to show our intent in the transfer market. Koeman & Walsh are certainly putting their stamp on things obviously backed by Moshiri.
Could Rom & Ross now be questioning their own actions , maybe they want a be a part of this revolution.
Both have sought not to disrespect the club by mouthing off , apart from Rom when asked about Everton "Not an option"
Maybe their agents have not come good with promises to them about a bright lights move.
Whatever happens to the pair over the next few weeks the club will certainly be much stronger either way.
Think the club have been impeccable about this.

Hope they stay like...but I'm resigned to them both going.
 

Rom is class and understandably wants to leave. With a bit of work and better players around him, he could be one of the best in the world. Helped us, played his role and it's time to move on for both him and club. He could've been a bit more of a gentleman and thank Everton for making him what he is and giving him the chance.

I am not sure what Ross is doing, to be honest. He's not gonna sign for a club bigger and at this moment better than Everton, probably won't get as much money as we offer him and even if he gets that "dream" contract somewhere better (f.e. United/City/Chelsea), he's definitely not going to play as much and have a role that he has here. It's his fault he was mediocre last season and instead of trying to up his form and work harder, he's acting like God given gift and that being said - better let him leave now. For West Ham or wherever he wants. I predict John Stones type of story there.

Rebuild the squad, get great and young players who actually want to play here (exactly what we're doing right now with all these transfers) and move on. We'll be good.
 

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