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Romelu Lukaku: Manchester United’s new main man

Manchester United have gotten their new striker from Everton and not Real Madrid. Romelu Lukaku looks bound for Old Trafford for just about £75 million. For weeks, it seemed as though Morata was going to be United’s new frontman, but now it looks as though the Spaniard will watch Lukaku from the Real Madrid bench as the Belgian is reunited with Jose Mourinho. The 24-year old marksman is an exciting prospect and could bring many talents to his new club.

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  • Goals
    Lukaku plundered 25 goals last season, narrowly losing out to Harry Kane in the race of lead scorer. United needed a striker who could replace Ibrahimovic’s outstanding output and Lukaku is that man. Last season, he was the only striker to score 5+ goals with his head, right, and left feet (6 head, 12 left, 7 right). He is the complete finisher and is only getting better. With players like Pogba, Mata, Mkhitaryan, Herrera, Rashford, and Martial around him, he will likely get more chances, and as a result, more goals.   
  • Desire
    Lukaku’s main reason for leaving Everton was because he wanted to play in the Champions League. Well if he joins United, he’ll get that chance. The young marksman has proven to be deadly in Premier League, with only Sergio Aguero scoring more goals since 2012/2013. Here is a player who is not complacent with being among the Premier League’s best forwards. He is hungry for more, having already conquered England’s best league. In Europe, he’ll have the chance to go up against the likes of possibly Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Bayern Munich just to name a few teams. It is against defences of that quality that we will find out just how good Lukaku is.
  • Continuity
    Lukaku’s game is not all that different to Ibrahimovic’s. The feel with the big Swede was that when United were on the counter attack, his lack of pace held them back. The big Belgian possess pace in abundance, he won’t slow down any counter attacks. Although he has the frame of a target man, Lukaku loves to play of the shoulder of the last defender and makes plenty of runs in behind, which will open up space in the midfield for players like Pogba, Mkhitaryan, and Herrera to drive forward with the ball. Pogba in particular loves to play an angled through ball and Lukaku could find that ball dropping on his favored left foot time and time again. United’s overall gameplan would change very little and that is definitely a positive in Mourinho’s eyes.

 

Mourinho will be getting the chance to work with Lukaku again and that is quite promising. If the Portuguese coach can refine the weaker parts of the Belgian’s game and turn him into the finished product, United could have Europe’s best striker in a few years time.



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