Romelu Lukaku’s new agent has claimed the Belgium striker should not have joined Everton last summer and will eventually sign for one of European football’s most powerful clubs.
Less than 24 hours after Roberto Martínez insisted there was nothing untoward in Lukaku’s decision to sever ties with long-standing agent Christophe Henrotay and switch to Mino Raiola, the Everton manager found himself undermined by the representative in question.
Raiola, whose stable includes Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Paul Pogba and Mario Balotelli, told the Belgian media outlet Sudpresse he would never have allowed the 21-year-old to leave Chelsea for Everton and that Lukaku would have done a better job for José Mourinho’s team this season than Diego Costa.
Although that is pure conjecture, Lukaku’s new representative confirms his aim is to move the striker to a European heavyweight.
“If we had met each other earlier, he wouldn’t have played for Everton,” said Raiola, who became Lukaku’s agent last month and immediately suggested Juventus should make a move for his client. “Maybe somewhere else, maybe he would still be at Chelsea. I want to be clear: Romelu is a better striker than Diego Costa and could have done the same as the Spaniard did this season. But the Chelsea directors had decided to buy another star than giving confidence to one of their young boys.”
Raiola added: “Juventus was interested in him last summer but I want to be clear: I don’t think one of the Italian teams can pay that amount of money for one player. It’s almost impossible. We have never said he would leave at the end of this season. We will see what happens in the summer, but the Everton directors don’t have to think Rom will play there for the rest of his career. Later on, he’ll play for one of world’s best teams: PSG, Manchester City, Manchester United or Bayern Munich. Big names, but nothing is impossible as Rom has great potential.”
