Tuesday, 3rd December, 2013
Jose Mourinho has been finding increasingly fewer minutes for Romelu Lukaku these days, as the response comes in for the Belgian's latest comments on his future.
Lukaku revealed late last month he could consider converting his loan spell at Everton into a permanent one should they achieve a Champions League berth.
It was the latest salvo in a war-of-words that stretches back to the summer when Mourinho deemed Lukaku surplus to requirements.
The rhetoric now, though, seems to have gone from Lukaku aming to prove himself to Mourinho to the forward eyeing new pastures.
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However, when asked about Lukaku's comments, Mourinho half-jokingly replied: "Maybe there is a new rule in football where when season is finished every player is free to decide his future! Maybe that is a new rule."
Everton would perhaps do well next summer to keep hold of Lukaku, who has scored eight goals in 11 Premier League games.
The 20-year-old has played some European football previously – at Anderlecht and the UEFA Supercup with Chelsea and said on 30th November: "I was watching the games this week and I miss European football a lot.
"It's not a bad idea [to stay]. If we play Champions League, yeah, why not?"
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