Koeman: Despite Signing Rooney, Lukaku Is Still Impossible To Replace At Everton

Wayne Rooney returned to Evertonafter a 13-year absence but the Toffeeshave not been able to adequately compensate for the loss of former strikerRomelu Lukaku who left for Manchester United on a £75million transfer last summer according to manager Ronald Koeman.Lukaku, 24, joined the Red Devils in July, ending a four-season stay at Goodison Park, after the Belgium international scored 25 league goals last season and he has netted six in six in all competitions for United.Koeman, whose team have made a slow start to the campaign and visit United on Sunday, said replacing Lukaku was always going to be a huge ask.“I don’t say impossible but that was close to impossible to get someone in who will score that amount of goals that Romelu scored for Everton,”the Dutchman said, via the Liverpool Echo.“With Romelu we had enough fights about how he needs to press, how heneeds to run, how he needs to move but in the box, with opportunities toscore,he is one of the best.“It is always difficult to replace players like him because of the person hewas, the physical boy that he is, the number of goals that he scored. It isdifficult.”Everton made numerous signings, adding the likes of Rooney, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Davy Klaassen and Sandro Ramirez.However, they have scored just two goals in their first four league games,and were humbled 3-0 by Atalanta in the Europa League on Thursday.