Belgian commits future to Everton
Romelu Lukaku has withdrawn his request to leave Everton and has committed his future to Goodison Park, according to manager Ronald Koeman.
The Belgian had previously asked for permission to leave the club and return to his former side, Chelsea.
But now Koeman has said the big forward has changed his mind after recovering from a heel , and wants to stay in the North-West.
“Ten days before the transfer deadline he came into the manager’s office and said he was no longer leaving and had decide to stay at Everton,” Koeman wrote in his column in Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf.
“His decision is the same value as a big money transfer. He is not only a good player but a fine person. He lives his football in the fashion that you would want a top footballer to.
“It is great to work with him and I think he had seen that we want to engineer improvement at every corner. To develop him into a really top player is the challenge before me.”
It is a boost for the Merseyside club ahead of Saturday’s game with West Brom and follows the £25 million signing this week of Yannick Bolasie from Crystal Palace.
Lukaku has scored 43 league goals for the Toffees since moving from Chelsea for £28 million in 2013 which included a season-long loan spell.
By Ben Kelly – @benkelly_10
