Does Romelu Lukaku need a fresh start?

At the age of 25, it feels like Romelu Lukaku has been around forever. Ever since he blew onto the scene as a 16-year-old for Anderlecht, his goalscoring prowess has been hard to ignore. A hugely impressive forward, his goalscoring record has regularly been among the most impressive in Europe. That being said, there are still those unsure about where the Belgian is going as a player.

Many see him as a player with technical limitations that make him hard to build a side around. Others look at the fact he’s got 79 caps for Belgium, a top international side, and an incredible 45 goals. His career record, too, is one of the most impressive around. Lukaku has been a regular goalscorer for every side that he has played for – including his present side Manchester United. 42 goals in 89 official games for the Red Devils is almost as good as his international record.

But, at United, he often looks a little out of place. Despite scoring a lot of goals and being very close to the coveted 50 mark, Lukaku is having some issues at United. He often looks a poor fit for the side, although not as much as since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has come in. The United legend has done much to revive Lukaku – but there are still many at Old Trafford not fully convinced.

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Could Juventus be perfect fit for Lukaku?

Links to the likes of Juventus have floated around in the background for some time now. The big Belgian has all the attributes to play at the top, as his record to date shows. But the question is: could he do with a move outside of the Premier League?

When Lukaku signed for Chelsea in 2011, it was seen as a major coup. However, he played just 15 games for the club before moving on, without scoring a single goal. Loan spells at West Bromwich Albion and Everton produced a hugely impressive 33 goals in just 71 games. It was still not enough. Despite growing up a fan of the Blues and fulfilling his ambition of being a Premier League player, the dream never really worked out.

His incredible pace and physique make Lukaku a fine Premier League striker. But he’s never quite looked as comfortable as one would expect when you take a glance at his record. Therefore, it would be no surprise to see him make a move to another league in the summer. His tactical intelligence and ability to play numerous roles in the forward line make him a fine fit for the Juventus links that were previously suggested.

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For many, it’s the teams that Lukaku has played for rather than the player himself that is the issue. Never truly suited to the way that United have played, even under Solskjaer, it would be interesting to see how the Belgian star would do in a side built around him. His next move, if he chooses to leave United, will be of utmost importance: it could be make or break as he looks to truly define himself as one of the top strikers of his era.

Featured image: Дмитрий Садовников [CC BY-SA 3.0 GFDL], via Wikimedia Commons