Everton's bid to overhaul their Merseyside rivals Liverpool for fourth place got a bit more urgent today, as their on-loan forward Romelu Lukaku signalled his need to play in next season's Champions League. He told the Belgian media that after five years in professional football he feels his time has come to play Champions League football, and that he needs to develop at a higher level. While it could be argued that Lukaku should focus on his current task at Everton, and attempt to improve himself there, manager Roberto Martinez will certainly have one eye on the summer, and the need to bring in new striking blood. With Arouna Kone yet to find the net since Martinez fetched him from old side Wigan, and fellow forward Gerard Deulofeu also only on loan from Barcelona, a goalscorer should be high on the transfer agenda this summer, even if Lukaku were to stay. With nine league goals for Everton, the Belgian will certainly be on a few European shopping lists this summer, although one would suspect that his plea for Champions League participation is a thinly-veiled love note to Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho to give him a chance in the first team. Mourinho could certainly do a lot worse. Can Martinez do any better in the summer? Here are five options that may cross his mind, but who else should the Spaniard be scouting?
I am from Bangor, aged 24, and possess an MA in Journalism from The University Of Ulster. I have had work published in the Belfast Telegraph and interviewed several local footballers and Olympic athletes. I also run my own sports blog, 'Sporting Thought' in addition to contributing to What Culture.
