With a scoring record that compares with the best, our writers debate whether the Belgian has joined the elite...
Adam Drury | The argument for
Consider the best strikers in the Premier League.
Sergio Aguero, Alexis Sanchez and Harry Kane spring to mind. Perhaps Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Roberto Firmino, too.
But it’s become clear that Romelu Lukaku now belongs in that category.
Somebody at Chelsea – though presumably not Jose Mourinho – knew he had the potential to do so when they parted with £17m for the Belgian.
And at Everton, Lukaku is now unlocking that regularly enough to be considered an outstanding player.
The 23-year-old – yes, still just 23 – has, admittedly, suffered barren runs of form and confidence.
But that perception must be placed in some context.
Lukaku finished fourth in the Golden Boot race last season, behind just Kane, Aguero and Jamie Vardy – scoring more than, for example, Sanchez.
This, remember, in an Everton team that finished 12th and created the ninth-most chances in the Premier League.
By the end of Roberto Martinez’s time at Goodison Park, the whole team was totally dysfunctional, yet Lukaku still mixed it with the league’s finest forwards.
It’s no cliche or exaggerated platitude to suggest that Lukaku is a striker who has everything.
His run and finish at Manchester City in October was a goal you might have expected from Sanchez or Aguero.
His nimble feet and turn of pace belied his significant frame.
The goal against Chelsea in the FA Cup quarter-finals last season – dizzying Gary Cahill in the process – demonstrated those qualities, with additional power.
His predatory instinct gets lost amid talk of his strength, too.
Lukaku compares favourably to some of the greatest strikers of all time.
He scored more goals before turning 23 than Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Ibrahimovic.
And since his breakthrough 2012/13 season at West Brom, only Sergio Aguero has netted more times in the Premier League – that while playing for sides that have finished in the top seven just once.
With the best still to come, Lukaku must now be considered among the elite.
Will Rook | The argument against
Romelu Lukaku’s talent can’t be denied. Just ask West Ham fans.
His goal last weekend maintained a record of scoring in all eight appearances against the east Londoners since joining Everton.
The strike was also his seventh in seven matches, keeping him second in the Premier League top-scorer standings.
But while he has, quite rightly, been praised for his performances this season, talk of him now being considered as one of the world’s best is impulsive.
The 23-year-old, you may remember, has been in similar positions before and has, as yet, failed to sustain such prolific spells for any longer than a brief period in a season.
As such, this profitable patch does not necessarily confirm that he is here to stay.
Last season, eight goals in seven matches between November and December gave the imposing Belgian a similar level of exposure.
But, as has been characteristic throughout his career, he struggled to reproduce it for any longer.
The remaining 20 league matches yielded just five more goals and he failed to score at all as Everton won just two of their last nine matches.
The drought meant that the Belgian has gone four or more matches without scoring on nine separate occasions for the Toffees.
Even the best strikers suffer temporary losses of form.
But Lukaku seems unable to perform without everything going his way.
That his latest fallow spell coincided with the breakdown in his relationship with former manager Roberto Martinez would attest to that.
He clearly let it affect his performance – a level of immaturity that betrays his supposed status as a world-class player.
And while he still suffers with occasional bouts of unprofessionalism, the inconsistency will continue.
That volatility saw him finish five goals shy of the golden boot last season, losing out to Harry Kane.
The Tottenham striker, comparatively, did not go more than three Premier League matches without finding the net once he had scored his first of the season.
Take note, Romelu.
