Romelu Lukaku gets more criticism than he deserves when considering his goalscoring record in England, according to Italian football expert Paolo Bandini.
Lukaku looks to be nearing a move to Juventus, with reports in Gazzetta Dello Sport suggesting he has agreed a deal ahead of a transfer to the Italian champions.
The Belgian only scored 15 times last season as United finished sixth in the Premier League and parted with Jose Mourinho – the man who brought Lukaku to Old Trafford in 2017.
But although the striker has not reached the totals he amassed at Everton – Bandini feels criticism of the 26-year-old is unfair, citing the kind of goalscoring numbers that he has produced over the years.
He said: “I understand the reservations about Lukaku, but I do think he gets excessive bad press sometimes in England, personally. This is someone who’s scored double figures every season since 2012.
“I understand why some people aren’t enamoured with him, he perhaps hasn’t lived up to what people thought he was going to be at Manchester United, but I don’t think this idea that he’s rubbish is quite fair, either.”
Any idea that Lukaku has not hit expected heights at Old Trafford could be justified – with the striker’s total of 27 goals in his first United season hardly backed up in the second, even amidst the backroom changes and poor results that dogged the club’s 2018/19 campaign.
But his potency over his time in the Premier League cannot be denied, with his best goalscoring campaigns at Everton (including a 25-goal haul in the league in the 2016/17 season) showing his lethal capabilities in front of goal.
The likes of Teddy Sheringham have criticised Lukaku in recent days, but perhaps the opportunity that possibly awaits the striker at Juventus will allow himself to finally prove his abilities on the European stage at club level following the apparent breakdown of his big United move.
