We paid £17/18m for Lukaku, it's hardly a massive profit. Martinez is no fool, and he is prepared to break Everton's record transfer fee to sign him.
But more importantly, who else is there around to replace him right now ? I just can't believe that you are really satisfied with Torres and Drogba as back-ups. If anything, that puts us in a weaker position than last season if Costa gets injured or suspended.
We had just better pray to the football Gods that Costa delivers and stays fit !

Yep, he has believed the hype.

Signing for Everton, lets face it, is a HUGE step down. He could have done better

Would you have sack RDM if you was in charge at chelsea at the time ?

He is not screwing up our future. He signed a contract and is entitled to be paid in line with that contact.

WE screwed it up. The obession with finding this "dream striker" and having the best players in the world instead of having the best team (very different) and doing it yesterday instead of taking our time.

Until this season and last I have seen very litte sign of intellegence or thought from the board. If we are to have someone like Roman in charge buys like Torries are the cost.

If we are looking at who put us in this place then its not very far to look.

The club has dragged its feet to many times over the last 10 years and only now are we slowly putting things right, Yes we going to take a few hits along the way BUT in 5 or 6 years I honestly think we will see the fruits of todays labour.

If we had done all this 5/6 years ago we would be seeing it today but we was spent to much time chasing dreams of Champions Leauges and styles of play

We paid £9m and the rest depending on appearances. selling for 25 may not be a big profit, but it is a very very good fee.

It is a huge gamble for a team like everton. it could very nearly bankrupt them.

Fees have gone crazy at the moment.

30m for Shaw, 50m for luiz, 75m for james/ suarez

I think our business has been good and steady. Cesc and Costa are brilliant signings and at the right price.

We have an excellent striker for the same price united have paid for a teenage, pretty much untested, unfit left back!

What a ridiculously arrogant statement.

Everton are a big, big club. Being their undoubted number one striker is clearly preferable to being 2nd/3rd choice at Chelsea, in his eyes.

He isn't world class, not yet, and might never be. But he's far better than Drogba has been for 4 seasons, better than Torres for 4 seasons, better than Ba has ever been, and better than Eto'o has been for several years. (Not as good as Sturridge.) We have a stronger squad with him in it, we'll win more with him in it. We don't need to sell, so this whole 'balancing the books / FFP' stuff doesn't excuse it at all. If we sell him it's because he doesn't believe he'll get the chances ahead of 2 vastly inferior players, and that's the clubs continued fault.

Hype is when there's no hard evidence to back something up. With Lukaku the goals he scored for West Brom and Everton are there in black and white, or you can watch them on YouTube. They were scored in the PL, against the same defences we play, week in, week out. They were also scored without the help of some of the best attacking midfielders in world football attempting to "feed him"..unlike Torres.

we are finally doing things right

Courtois (22) - the best young keeper in the world
Zouma (19) - one heck of a young talent
Azpi (24)- the best left and right back at the club
Cahill (28) - englands CB for the next 5 years
Matic (25) - the tough tackling sprinkler we have always needed
Van Ginkel (21) - errr recovering from a bad injury
Fabregas (27) - one of the best players in the world in his prime
Oscar (22) - will be at thme top of the game for ten years
Willian (25) - about to come into his prime
Salah (22) - What an exciting young talent he is
Hazard (23) - likely to join Ronaldo, Messi and suarez in the elite tier
Schurrle (23) - Already a world cup winner!
Costa (25) - One of the best strikers who can only get better

We have actually started planning for the next 5 years, and some for the next ten years. Courtois could still be here in 18 years!

Compared with our old strategy of buying players past their prime, im very happy!

Today yes but what about in a few years time?

He was still playing for "big big clubs" he was still getting picked for the international games while doing loans and still earning very good money. He could have continuted to do that with the added bonus of being attached to a massive club.

Loan's are not a punishment or a sign you not good enough. Its about getting a education. Its the best of both worlds

Indeed, but, as everton fans will tell you, he has also looked lost and out of his depth at times.

Would i have kept him? yes. Am i going to lose sleep over it? No.

To describe everton as a "big big club" is simply not true.

Everton, like it or not, is a step down from Chelsea, even on the bench at chelsea. As a chelsea fan as you are, posting in the chelsea supporters forum, can you not see that?

Struggling with injury.....still looked more dangerous than any of ours.

Well, i guess we may find out (the deal is not signed yet).

Do you think he will score more than costa, i dont think so.

We have no reason at all to assume Costa will be a success. Doesn't matter what he done last season for Atletico, he's coming to a new league to a team who have a shocking record regarding strikers.

True but the signs are we have put more thought in to it and done more homework.

If it dont pay off then thats the way it goes but its a step up from the Torries signing where I dont think we did that much, We just did our normal "Roman wants that one"

v Vitesse

Cech Azpilicueta Ivanovic Cahill Luis Van Ginkel Fabregas Matic Salah Costa Torres

Beeney Zouma Terry Chalobah Ake Romeu Baker Boga Solanke



Wallace and Traore start for Vitesse.

Agreed. Like you suggested earlier if Lukaku's leaving then we should look to bring in someone like Bony. Otherwise we can forget winning the title with just Torres and Drogba in reserve.

Good to see we've got a strong team out tonight (well….apart from Torres).

Will be good to see how Luis and van ginkel get on

This was always on the cards as it was clear Mourinho didn't fancy him, still can't understand it though.


If he was believing the hype as you suggest, then surely he'd want to sign for someone better than Everton?

Also you talk of Costa being a proven goalscorer. Only once in his entire career has Costa scored more than 10 leagues goals in a season. Lukaku has scored 15+ league goals every season of his career except his first season for you where he was hardly ever picked.

I don't know, I suppose it depends on what sort of season Everton have. I think he'll be up there with 15/20 goals, maybe more.
I don't think that matters, I'm not suggesting he should be our number one striker, one of the first names on the team sheet. But I think he's done enough on loan to be considered our next in line "go to" striker, coming off the bench, starting games to give Costa a rest etc.
If he was not open to persuasion and wanted to leave, fair enough. There's no way we should force him to stay against his will. But I shudder at the thought of Costa not living up to expectations and having to rely on bloody Torres (again) and the ageing legs of my hero, Drogba.

I am not convinced he is going to truly make it at the top level but I certainly would of given him more chances at Chelsea.
There are clearly issues between him and Jose. Only one winner there.

Bony would be a great signing in my opinion. There's a hell of a lot to his game, he's impressed me every time I've seen him play. Works hard, great attitude, and hes a lot more skillful than people give him credit for. Can't see it though, would he join us as a number 2 ? If he did, it wouldn't surprise me if he forced his way into the number 1 slot.

I think this is probably true. He got impatient, a bit like de Bruyne and didn't help himself with some of his comments last season. I'm disappointed he's not really had a chance and we've got to put up with another season of Torres, but Costa looks very good and at least we'll make a profit on the sale.

Costa breaks free and sets-up Salah. 1-0 after 3 minutes