It is proving increasingly difficult for Everton to hold on to their star striker Romelu Lukaku, it seems. The Belgian star has been unstoppable this season so far and his demand is at an all-time high. Chelsea have been desperate to bring him back to Stamford Bridge since they sold him to Everton in 2014. A move was more or less finalised last summer but new boss Ronald Koeman managed to convince Lukaku in staying with the club.
Following suit, Ross Barkley has stalled on his contract talks with numerous clubs showing interest in him. Everton are having one of the best seasons in the Premier League history with the Toffees close to landing a Europa League qualification spot. And to their misfortune, they are in danger of losing two of their best players.
There have been 25 goals and 13 assists this season so far, between the two and losing them would be disastrous. And according to reports, the Dutch manager is planning a double swoop worth £50million to replace the dynamic duo coming summer. Koeman is eyeing a move for La Liga hotshots Cedric Bakambu and Willian Jose, who the manager thinks could fill in the shoes of Barkley and Lukaku.
Villarreal forward Cedric Bakambu is a centre-forward by nature but can play equally well on the flanks. The Congo international joined the La Liga side back in the summer of 2015, and although he hasn’t shown much grit and quality this season, scoring four goals and one assist in 24 appearances, the manager seems to have found in him attributes similar to Barkley. His versatility would help the manager to use him from a wider role, like Barkley.
An academy product of French side FC Sochaux-Montbéliard, 25-year-old Bakambu has also played for Turkish side Bursaspor before moving to La Liga. His big frame and pace on the ball will make him a valuable addition to the side.
The other player, Willian Jose, seems to be a replacement for Lukaku. The Brazilian centre-forward has scored 11 goals in 26 games for Real Sociedad in all competitions. Also 25, the centre-forward has earned a reputation of a lethal finisher in front of goal and has some sublime close control. He has played for numerous clubs which include the likes of Sao Paulo, Santos, Real Zaragoza and UD Las Palmas.
Of course, Everton’s negotiation with the duo is expected go to the wire, and the Merseyside club might even manage to retain one player at least. In any case, Bakambu and Jose could be great additions to the Europa League hopefuls.
