An inevitable summer move is now surely just a matter of time for Everton's striker Romelu Lukaku as the club’s stature at this time just doesn't seem to match the Belgian goal machine’s ambitions. What Are The Odds looks at what might be next for Lukaku in his pursuit of Champions League football.
A raft of European powerhouses are jostling for the Belgium international’s services, per Sky Bet, Lukaku’s former club Chelsea have seen their odds on re-signing him fall dramatically in recent weeks, with odds now as short as 1/6 (1.17) on Antonio Conte to bring the 24-year old back to Stamford Bridge. It would be a shock not see Lukaku donning the blue of Chelsea again on the first game of the season in August.
The long-term future of current striker Diego Costa is still one that seems uncertain, and it's more likely than not that the Spanish international will leave the West London club after the very public reveal of a text message conversation between manager and player via the Mirror. Whether or not the club is dependent on selling Costa before moving on Lukaku is not clear.
Last summer it would have seemed nigh-on impossible to imagine Lukaku competing for a place in the Manchester United side against the likes of Zlatan and Rooney - never mind lumping Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford into the mix.
However, with Rooney likely to leave and Zlatan Ibrahimovic released due to his injury sustained a few weeks ago in the Europa League, one would imagine that Lukaku would be top of Mourinho’s striker wish list this summer. Odds of 7/2 (4.50) suggest it’s possible but not quite close enough for United fans to get too excited about as Chelsea look nailed on to get the deal on.
United fans may be interested to fantasise how a United team with Lukaku in this season might have affected the Red Devils league standing, we at SmartBets have gone the full distance to see what position Man Utd would have been in had the Belgian signed.
Of all the teams linked with Lukaku, Paris Saint-Germain could make the most sense (at least outside the Premier League), despite them being a lot further back at 25/1 (26.0) in the running. PSG want to make more strides in Europe, and have struggled in Ligue 1 (by their standards) finishing in second to Monaco, so a marquee signing like Lukaku would be fitting and Champions League football would tick all of the Belgian’s wishlist.
Probability of Romelu Lukaku's next club
| Next Club | Romelu Lukaku Transfer Odds | Probability | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chelsea |  |
1/6 | 85.71% |
| Man United |  |
7/2 | 22.22% |
| PSG |  |
25/1 | 3.85% |
| Real Madrid |  |
25/1 | 3.85% |
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