Don't know about that, but he is undoubtedly of great value to Atletico. They already know they aren't big enough to keep Costa for too long, so if they can secure Curtois in the process that would be enticing I reckon. Get their prodigal son back for a year with a bulk of his wages paid by Chelsea would just be gravy.

Gunner89 wrote:

Lol at anybody turning their eye on Lukaku...

Guy scored a brace against Liverpool, scored at the Emirates, hatrick against the champions united (Not the mid-table outfit this season). He's also pretty quick. At 20 he's a much better player than Giroud and he's only going to get better.

We've been here before though haven't we with players whose all round game isn't fully developed yet, last summer it was Fellaini who looked great for Everton but at the highest level all his flaws were exposed.

He's a great talent no doubt but he needs to improve his general all round play, at Everton it has improved to be fair but the best thing for him is probably to stay there another season. There have been plenty of good goal scorers in this league but clearly they were lacking when it came to certain parts of their game. Darren Bent & Defoe being prime examples, Lukaku looks like he wants to learn and seems to be working hard on that part of his game. If he was as good as some think Mourinho wouldn't of sent him out on loan and kept the strikers he did.

I'd agree with that. He just doesn't look a natural enough footballer to reach the very top

JazzG wrote:
Gunner89 wrote:

Lol at anybody turning their eye on Lukaku...

Guy scored a brace against Liverpool, scored at the Emirates, hatrick against the champions united (Not the mid-table outfit this season). He's also pretty quick. At 20 he's a much better player than Giroud and he's only going to get better.

We've been here before though haven't we with players whose all round game isn't fully developed yet, last summer it was Fellaini who looked great for Everton but at the highest level all his flaws were exposed.

He's a great talent no doubt but he needs to improve his general all round play, at Everton it has improved to be fair but the best thing for him is probably to stay there another season. There have been plenty of good goal scorers in this league but clearly they were lacking when it came to certain parts of their game. Darren Bent & Defoe being prime examples, Lukaku looks like he wants to learn and seems to be working hard on that part of his game. If he was as good as some think Mourinho wouldn't of sent him out on loan and kept the strikers he did.

Fellaini needs to adapt to a team very different to the Everton side he was in. Lukaku is already playing for a footballing side and is doing decently.

Lukaku is a monster. If he was ever available for us we should go for him immediately.

I hope we land a player who is already better than Lukaku of course, but the boy is very, very good. He turns 21 in May too, which means there is plenty of room for improvement. He is physically as gifted as anybody; he has pace, is big and strong, good in the air, shoots well with both feet, and has already proven he is a reliable goal scorer. His hold up play and link play has also improved a whole heap over the last two seasons.

if he pops up we should take him as a 2nd tier option, but it would be frustrating to buy him and then see Chelsea use that money to buy a top tier striker. this is what would likely happen.

It would be needlessly masochistic to look at it that way though Claud. They'll buy the top striker anyway, getting Lukaku off them should be seen as nothing but a coup, poaching off our rivals in the best way.

Flog Giroud and have Lukaku and Costa swing it out for the number 1 spot - that I could live with! 🙂

Rex wrote:

Flog Giroud and have Lukaku and Costa swing it out for the number 1 spot - that I could live with! 🙂

Been thinking about that for a bit now. It would cost £60m to get them but we would clear some cash from giroud leaving.

yes, because Chelsea will give us their striker as we are in the process of securing the most desired striker in the summer window. okay

Who the hell is gonna buy Giroud anyway? Nobody.

There will be takers at about £10m. His wages may be a problem.

Yeah, that's the way I see it too, and especially with the French clubs. A transfer fee won't be a problem I reckon, but his wages may prove a difficult obstacle to get past for a club signing him.

Klaus wrote:

It makes him higher paid than anyone in France outside PSG and Monaco for starters. Makes him higher paid than anyone att West Ham and similar English clubs too, and those are the ones who might be interested.

Carrol's on 100k a week.

http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/west-ham-and-andy-carroll-agree-to-46m-deal-8663284.html

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/west-ham-confirm-arrival-of-liverpool-striker-andy-carroll-in-deal-that-could-cost-them-485m-8664480.html

Cole is close to that on 50k and he doesn't even play

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/20908932

They are already stuck with Carroll for the time being thanks to Sam. They're looking to get rid of Cole and other players to slice their wage bill at the moment. A lot of clubs are thanks to the FP and harder regulations. And it's not like Giroud would consider them anyway. They're a tier too far down. He'll look for a move to a Champions League club first and to one challenging for a CL spot second.

Klaus wrote:

They are already stuck with Carroll for the time being thanks to Sam. They're looking to get rid of Cole and other players to slice their wage bill at the moment. A lot of clubs are thanks to the FP and harder regulations. And it's not like Giroud would consider them anyway. They're a tier too far down. He'll look for a move to a Champions League club first and to one challenging for a CL spot second.

Your point was that they weren't paying anybody that money. The links suggest otherwise. Wether they might or might not go for him or he to them is something I can't really say. But IMO 60k a week isn't much to pay in todays market.