Premier League
Has Manchester United Made a Good Decision on Lukaku?
Manchester United have smashed the British transfer record for Romelu Lukaku, but how much do you actually know about a 24-year-old with an acronym for a name?
Manchester United smashed the British transfer record to sign Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku from Everton on Monday – but what is it about the 24-year-old that has made him such hot property?
This is the outcome of uefa.com’s investigation:
WHAT THEY SAY:
“Romelu is a natural fit for Manchester United. He is a big personality and a big player. It is only natural that he wants to develop his career at the biggest club”, said José Mourinho, Manchester United manager.
“At the age of 23, I always believed he had the possibility of becoming the best No9 in world football because he has absolutely everything”, remarked Roberto Martínez, Belgium coach.
LUKAKU’s PROFILE
International: 57 appearances, 20 goals
UEFA club competition: 27 appearances, 13 goals
Domestic competition: 317 appearances, 145 goals
Claims to fame
Anderlecht
▪ One of 13 youth players who joined Anderlecht in 2006 from relegated Lierse, for whom he had scored 121 goals in 68 youth games.
▪ Lukaku became the youngest player to appear for Anderlecht when he made his debut just 11 days after his 16th birthday on 24 May 2009 – in a Belgian championship decider against Standard Liège (a 1-0 loss).
▪ Scored 20 minutes into his top-flight debut against Zulte Waregem, a nonchalant back-heel to convert a low cross. “After scoring I dived into a sea of happiness,” he said.
▪ Still only 16, he was the 15-goal top scorer in his first full season in the Belgian top flight as Anderlecht won the title.
▪ Went one goal better the following season but Anderlecht missed out on the championship. Promptly joined Chelsea, taking the No18 shirt.
Chelsea
▪ Failed to find the net in 15 outings for Chelsea in all competitions. Indeed, he made only one league start in three seasons on their books – a man-of-the-match performance against Blackburn on the final day of 2011/12.
▪ Spent 2012/13 and 2013/14 on loan at West Brom (17 goals) and Everton (16) respectively.
Everton
▪ One of only four players – after Michael Owen, Robbie Fowler and Wayne Rooney – to reach 80 Premier League goals before the age of 24. Now has 85.
▪ Finished last term with 25 Premier League goals, making him the first Everton player since Gary Lineker in 1985/86 to score 20 or more in the league in a season.
▪ His 68 Premier League goals for Everton is more than any other player has scored for the club.
▪ Scored in nine successive home league games during the 2016/17 campaign, matching the club record set by Dixie Dean in 1934.
▪ One of only three players – along with Olivier Giroud and Sergio Agüero – to have scored more than ten Premier League goals in each of the past five seasons.
BELGIUM:
▪ Third youngest player to appear for Belgium, winning his first cap aged 16 against Croatia in February 2010.
▪ Scored first senior goals for country aged 17 in November 2010 in a 2-0 friendly away to Russia.
▪ Hit two against Croatia in 2013 as Belgium qualified for the FIFA World Cup for the first time in three attempts.
WHAT YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW: How he got his name;
▪ The name Romelu is an acronym, composed of the first two letters of his father’s three names: Roger Menama Lukaku.
▪ Lukaku has a rich footballing pedigree. His father Roger was capped at international level by Zaire (now DR Congo) and younger brother Jordan plays for Lazio at left-back, the same position cousin Boli Bolingoli-Mbombo hopes to occupy at new club Rapid Wien.
▪ Lukaku speaks Dutch, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Lingala, English and also understands German.
WHAT HE SAYS:
“When Manchester United and José Mourinho come knocking at the door, it is an opportunity of a lifetime and one that I could not turn down. I cannot wait to run out at Old Trafford in front of 75,000 fans.”
“I don’t like people talking to me about the Champions League [in 2011/12, when Chelsea won]. It wasn’t me, but my team that won. When [Salomon] Kalou put the cup on my lap in the bus I asked him to take it away immediately. I didn’t want to touch it because I had no part in it at all.”
WHAT HE MIGHT ACHIEVE YET:
▪ Still only 24, Lukaku (20 goals in 57 games) is well on his way to setting new Belgium highs for most appearances (96, Jan Ceulemans) and goals (30, Bernard Voorhoof and Paul Van Himst).
▪ Lukaku is yet to score a UEFA Champions League goal but the Belgian record of 17 set by Luc Nilis and Paul Van Himst may not be beyond his reach. Nilis, with 36, holds the national record for goals in major UEFA club competitions.
Lend your voice to the debate: Sports Village Square wants you to vote at the poll at the right hand corner of our Home Page. The question: Has Manchester United Made a Good Decision on Lukaku?
Liverpool will have to wait for a few more days to be crowned Premier League champions despite a 1-0 victory at Leicester City after Arsenal kept their slender hopes just about alive with a 4-0 romp at 10-man Ipswich Town on Sunday.
Trent Alexander-Arnold came off the bench to score Liverpool’s winner in the 76th minute at the King Power Stadium to restore their 13-point lead at the top with five games left.
While Liverpool can almost taste a record-equalling 20th English crown, Leicester’s defeat confirmed their relegation back to the Championship after just one season.
The Midlands club have now been relegated from England’s top flight a record 13 times.
Chelsea secured a massive win in their bid to qualify for the Champions League as they came from behind to beat Fulham 2-1 at Craven Cottage with Pedro Neto scoring in stoppage time.
The win pushed Chelsea above Nottingham Forest in to fifth place, the last spot for qualification to the Champions League, although Forest play at Tottenham Hotspur on Monday.
Chelsea have 57 points from 33 games, two behind third-placed Newcastle United and one behind Manchester City. Forest and Aston Villa are level with Chelsea on 57 points.
Wolverhampton Wanderers guaranteed their safety as they beat Manchester United 1-0 at Old Trafford. Pablo Sarabia’s stunning free kick wrapped up a fifth successive league win, the first time Wolves have achieved that in the top flight since 1970.
Liverpool were wasteful at Leicester with numerous chances going begging and Mohamed Salah suffering a frustrating afternoon including hitting both posts with an early shot.
Salah hit the woodwork again moments before the ball came out to Alexander-Arnold who fired a left-footed shot through the crowd to give his side the points — ripping off his shirt and celebrating wildly with the travelling fans.
“We just keep going, mentally we’re really strong,” manager Arne Slot, whose side could be crowned champions if Arsenal lose at home to Crystal Palace on Wednesday, told Sky Sports.
“They enjoy playing football and it helps when you are playing for something special. Today (Alexander-Arnold) knows when it matters most he can just bring a bit more which is something all the top, top players have.”
DISTANT SECOND
If Arsenal avoid defeat by Palace, Slot’s side will seal the title if they beat Tottenham Hotspur at home next Sunday.
“We will focus on Tottenham and looking forward again to a home game and I think the stadium will be full,” Slot, who can become the first Dutch manager to win the English title, said. “It’s a nice game to look forward to.”
Liverpool have 79 points with Arsenal a distant second on 66. Arsenal may have their eyes now on a Champions League semi-final against Paris St Germain, but they showed against Ipswich they will not hand over the title to Liverpool.
Leandro Trossard opened the scoring early on and Gabriel Martinelli made it 2-0 after a delightful flick by Mikel Merino.
Ipswich were reduced to 10 men before halftime as Leif Davis crudely raked his studs down the back of Bukayo Saka’s calf and the second half was academic.
Trossard grabbed his second in the 69th minute and Ethan Nwaneri added a late fourth to leave Ipswich stuck in 18th place on 21 points. They will be relegated if they drop points again or 17th-placed West Ham United pick up one more point from their remaining five games.
Chelsea were heading for a damaging defeat at neighbours Fulham as the hosts led with Alex Iwobi’s 20th-minute goal.
Substitute Tyrique George equalised with an instinctive shot in the 83rd minute, his first Premier League goal, before winger Neto swivelled and unleashed a thunderous strike in stoppage time to send the away fans wild.
Manchester United reached the Europa League semi-final with an astonishing comeback win against French club Olympique Lyonnais on Thursday but their Premier League woes returned against Wolves.
They are in 14th place and have now lost eight Premier League home games this season, their most defeats at Old Trafford in a league campaign since 1962-63.
“Wolves scored in the only opportunity they had. we had many chances, and we didn’t score. If you don’t score goals, you are not going to win games,” manager Ruben Amorim said.
-Reuters
Egyptian outlet, Ahram, has reported that Mohamed Salah has signed a new contract with Liverpool, extending his stay at Anfield beyond the 2024-25 season as he prepares for what could be the final chapter of a storied career with the club.
While the terms of the agreement were not disclosed, British media reports indicate the 32-year-old forward has signed a two-year extension, keeping him at the club until at least 2027.
Salah, who joined Liverpool from AS Roma in 2017, has become a modern-day icon at Anfield.
The Egyptian international has scored 243 goals in 394 appearances—third on the club’s all-time scorers list—and has helped the Reds secure seven major trophies, including the Premier League and Champions League titles.
“I had my best years here,” Salah told the club’s website. “Hopefully it’s going to be 10. I signed because I believe we can still win big trophies together.”
He has maintained his prolific form this season, scoring 32 goals and providing 22 assists in 45 appearances across all competitions. His 27 Premier League goals currently lead the division.
During his time with Liverpool, Salah has won the Premier League Golden Boot three times, been named the PFA Players’ Player of the Year twice, and claimed two FWA Footballer of the Year awards.
Now entering the latter stages of his career, Salah remains focused on adding more silverware to his collection and further cementing his legacy at Liverpool.
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Leicester City’s Jeremy Monga, who became the second-youngest Premier League player when he made his senior debut in Monday’s 3-0 loss to Newcastle United, had to wear a blank shirt because it is sponsored by an online cryptocurrency gaming platform.
Britain’s Gambling Act 2005, which underwent a review in 2020, prohibits players under 18 from wearing kits displaying gambling sponsors. Monga, an England U16 international, made his senior debut at 15 years 271 days old.
Arsenal’s Ethan Nwaneri remains the youngest Premier League player in history, having debuted in the competition when he was 90 days younger than Monga.
Leicester, who suffered an eighth straight loss in the league without scoring a goal, are 19th in the standings, 15 points below the safety zone.
-Reuters
The league title will be icing on Soname’s birthday cake on Sunday
As major global sporting events beckon, Morocco’s monarch launches the Kenitra-Marrakech High-Speed rail project
Nigeria Premier League attains a crescendo this weekend
- WOMEN'S FOOTBALL1 week ago
Naira rain falls on Nigeria’s Flamingos after a 4-0 defeat of Algeria
- OBITUARY4 days ago
NFF mourns the demise of former FIFA referee, Bosede Momoh
- Nigerian Football3 days ago
Financial rainfall awaits Nigeria’s Flamingos for every goal scored in Algeria
- U-17 AFCON1 week ago
Morocco crowned CAF U-17 AFCON champions after dramatic penalty shootout win over Mali
- U-20 FOOTBALL7 days ago
Nigeria begin CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations title chase with Tunisian clash
- Nigerian Football7 days ago
Remo Stars maintain ‘7Up’ lead over Rivers United
- feature5 days ago
Ghana’s Cardinal, Appiah Turkson, listed as a possible Pope
- Nigerian Football3 days ago
Former WAFU President, Ogufere mourns Christian Chukwu