Everton manager Roberto Martinez has insisted that there is no agreement with striker Romelu Lukaku over letting him leave the club in the summer.
Speculation has increased over the Belgian international’s future at the end of the season, but his Spanish coach has dismissed the suggestion that they have a verbal agreement about selling him in six months time.
Lukaku has scored 12 goals in his last 12 matches in all competitions, and has continued to emerge as one of the most prolific strikers in European football.
According to his agent, Mino Raiola, there was an understanding between his client and Martinez that he would be allowed a transfer if a big club came in for him, but that is something that the latter has strongly denied.
“That is not true, I would never do that,” Martinez said, as reported by The Guardian. “I think that would be very negative. If you do that could you imagine the last two months for that player? He would never put a leg in or never challenge for the ball.
“I don’t agree with doing that. I know you can do that to keep a player for another 12 months but if you’re not going to have a player 12 months down the line you need to start replacing him to have a stronger team.”
Everton are currently 11th in the Premier League table while they will hope to make the most of their opportunity to win silverware having taken a slender lead into the second leg of their Capital One Cup semi-final clash against Manchester City.