Koeman expects to keep Lukaku at Everton

Ronald Koeman is expecting Romelu Lukaku to
stay at Everton for next season despite regular
speculation surrounding a potential move away
from Goodison Park for the striker.
Lukaku has hit 24 Premier League goals in the
most prolific campaign of his career, with the 24-
year-old regularly linked with a return to former
club Chelsea.
But Koeman is confident he will be able to retain
the services of the Belgium international.
"I expect that Lukaku will stay because until now I
did not hear anything from the board that one club
is asking about Lukaku," Koeman told reporters
ahead of Sunday's Premier League match at
Arsenal.
"You like to keep your best striker, your top scorer,
but we also need around that position more
productivity.
"Romelu has two years more on his contract. If
there is interest in him then the board will know
and they will come to the club if they have interest
in the player. That is like everybody."
Even if Koeman loses Lukaku, the Dutchman
insisted Everton would be able to move on without
the striker, although the next top scorer in the
squad is Ross Barkley with five league goals.
"In my career, we lost one time Ruud Gullit in PSV
[who joined AC Milan in 1987] and everybody was
afraid," Koeman said. "And we signed some other
new players and won, in 1988, the championship,
the [Dutch] Cup, the European Cup. That is football.
"I said before maybe you lose at one side
something... but I am not talking about what will
happen if he does not stay next season."