Ronald Koeman unsure if £100m Chelsea target Romelu Lukaku will be at Everton next season

Staying put? Koeman won't make any promises to Everton fans
PAUL ELLIS/AFP/Getty Images
Tom Dutton28 April 2017

Ronald Koeman says he's uncertain if Romelu Lukaku will be at Everton next season.

Lukaku leads the Premier League scoring charts with 24 goals and was last week named in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year.

The Belgium international left Chelsea for £28m in 2014 and the Blues are now keen to re-sign the striker, who has been valued at £100million by the Toffees.

And Koeman has conceded Everton could find it hard to keep hold of their best players this summer.

The Dutchman said: "First of all we like to keep the best players, but that's difficult. I don't know if it's possible to keep them. And then we have to analyse the team what we need to improve the team for next season.

"I think we need offensive-wise we need more players, who score more goals because the difference between Lukaku and the rest of the players is too big.

Asked if he was hopeful of having Lukaku next season, the Everton boss added: "I don't know, we will see what happens at the end of the season."

Lukaku scored twice in Everton's FA Cup quarter-final victory over Chelsea at Goodison Park last season, but is yet to score a Premier League goal against them.

In Pictures | PFA Premier League Team of the Year 2017

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And Koeman expects the striker play to his best when Antonio Conte's title-chasers visit on Sunday.

When it was suggested speculation linking Lukaku with a return to Stamford Bridge might affect Lukaku, Koeman said: "I dont know, normally not. The player always likes to show the best of himself.

"Maybe we need to change our mentality because I felt a little less itensity, motivation last week. It's diffuclt if you have seventh position in the pocket because they get a holiday feeling."

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