It is strange that Romelu Lukaku, of all players, might go on to become the most expensive player of all time should United pay the add-ons. In a deal where the Red Devils are set to pay £75 million upfront and £15 million in add-ons, they have gotten one of the Premier League’s most proven strikers.
Indeed, the former West Brom man’s record speaks for itself as he has constantly been among the best scorers in the league. Hence, as a result, Manchester United decided to splash the cash on him and would be hoping that their investment pays off.
Also read: Why paying £100m for Lukaku while refusing £70m for Morata is a mistake
However, there is a good chance that it won’t be recouped. Here are five reasons why Lukaku would fail at United...
#5 That damned first touch
At first, I was not sure if he attempted a terrible pass or just didn’t know how to bring the ball under control with his first touch. After watching him play for a few years, I have come to the conclusion that he has one of the worst first touches among today’s forwards.
How does that matter when he has scored over 20 goals for Everton in each of his last three seasons though?
For starters, Manchester United like to keep the ball more than Everton, who rely on the counter. Given that United have some of the finest players in their attack, it is only natural for opponents to mark them closely and shut down the channels quickly.
Last season, the Red Devils enjoyed an average of 55% possession per game while Everton kept an average of 51%. But this is what is worrying: United had more percentage of their touches (31%) in the opposition third than Everton (28%).
While 3% might not seem like much, it does make a difference. We have seen a lot of cases where the first touch of a player actually sets him up for the rest of the move, eventually leading to a goal.
More touches in the final third are also accompanied by more passes, which is also not good news for the Belgian as he is…
#4 Not so good at link up play
Aside from his infamous first touch, it is this attribute that reveals his limitations as a forward. In Jose Mourinho’s erratic career, one thing has remained constant: he has always worked with strikers that have the ability to link up play well.
From Didier Drogba to Karim Benzema, Mourinho has worked best with forwards who can bring their team-mates into the game. Lukaku, however, just doesn’t have that skill – and that is not a good thing for the system United play.
Last season, United played 471 short passes per game, which is 83 more than Everton’s 388. This means Lukaku will feature in a team that likes to play short passes to build attacks.
This is not good news for the Belgian who had a pass success rate of 65.5% in the league last season – the worst among the top five goal-scorers in the league. Mata and Herrera will look for clever one-twos with Lukaku, but they are more than likely to be upset by the return.
There is no denying that the former Chelsea forward is a brilliant finisher and can play with his back to goal, but when it comes to bringing team-mates into the fray, he is not among the best in the world. And, given that United like to work the ball into the box rather than just pump it in, the Belgian might struggle to cope.
#3 Huge transfer tag
Some of the best players in the world, for all their skill and ability, fail to make an impact for their new team after a big money move. When Real Madrid signed Kaka from AC Milan, they acquired the services of a Ballon d’Or winner.
And yet, after his €65 million move to Madrid, he not only failed to reach the heights that he enjoyed at Milan, but failed to string together even a couple of decent performances. And this was Kaka, who already had the experience of playing on the biggest stage.
Even Gareth Bale hasn’t been at his best at Real Madrid even four years since his €100 million move to the Galacticos. While the price tag, in retrospect, might seem like a trivial issue, the truth is that it is not.
We live in a time when social media has made it very easy to get our opinions across. If Lukaku makes the smallest of mistakes following his big-money move, he will be labelled as a “£75/90 million flop” or ridiculed with the “waste of £75/90 million” taunt.
#2 The pressure of playing for United
As if the pressure of being the most expensive player of all time, potentially, isn't enough, there is also the added stress that comes from being a Manchester United player. Let’s face it, Manchester United are, commercially, the biggest club in the world, with fans all around the globe.
Indeed, the Red Devils not winning silverware is more of a problem for the sponsors than the team itself. Despite not winning major trophies since Sir Alex Ferguson left – except for the Europa League last season – Manchester United are the richest club in the world, ahead of even the champions of Europe, Real Madrid.
This is no ordinary club, this is Manchester United – the Theatre of Dreams and the bastion of glory – and playing for them requires certain mental attributes. Every move that Lukaku makes will be scrutinised like never before – he will be dissected, researched and judged.
At Everton, there wasn’t as much pressure to win like there is at United. Obviously. While the season target for the Toffees was to finish in the top 6 or 7, United always aim for the stars – and the margin for error is too little here.
As Mourinho said about the Belgian some years ago, “it is one thing to play for Everton and another thing to play for Chelsea.” That just as easily applies to Manchester United as well.
#1 The Jose Mourinho factor
Jose Mourinho is regarded by many as one of the most astute tacticians in the world. At one point, he was also one of the best motivators in the game, but that attribute seems to have waned ever since his tenure at Real Madrid.
Another thing the Portuguese is known for is his reluctance to work with younger players. At Real Madrid, he rarely gave Alvaro Morata a chance, while at Chelsea, he refused to guarantee playing time for the former Anderlecht player, Lukaku.
This prompted the Belgian to leave the club on a permanent basis and Mourinho revealed the reason for it.
"Romelu was always very clear with us in his mentality and his approach was not highly motivated to come to a competitive situation at Chelsea. He wanted to be clearly the first-choice striker.”
The former Porto boss is known for his ruthlessness. If Lukaku fails to deliver in a few games, it is very likely that the Portuguese would drop him in favour of someone else, which could damage his morale even further.
For Mourinho, results matter over anything else. If Lukaku is deemed a liability, he will not shy away from wielding the axe.
