Rene Meulensteen doubts Everton striker Romelu Lukaku is good enough for Manchester United

Everton striker Romelu Lukaku may not boast the range of skills necessary to meet the required standard at Manchester United, according to Rene Meulensteen. The prolific Belgian international has been persistently linked with a potential move to Old Trafford or former club Chelsea after turning down the chance to extend his stay on Merseyside by rejecting a lucrative new five-year deal said to be worth in the region of £140,000 ($181,152) per week.

The Sun reported yesterday (7 May) that £80m-rated Lukaku, who has notched 25 goals in 37 appearances so far this term and wants to play Champions League football, was torn between his two suitors and is eager to play under Jose Mourinho amid concerns regarding Antonio Conte's style of play that might prevent him from becoming the first-choice replacement for China-bound Diego Costa.

United are believed to be eager to rival Chelsea to the signings of both Lukaku and Real Madrid forward Alvaro Morata with both Zlatan Ibrahimovic and captain Wayne Rooney possibly set to depart this summer.

While such a signing would undoubtedly be well received by supporters, former Fulham boss Meulensteen, who coached under Sir Alex Ferguson for 12 years before departing in 2013, queries if he is up to the task.

"Don't get me wrong here, Lukaku has obviously had a fantastic season and he is a goalscorer," he told TalkSPORT. "But at a club like Manchester United you need more strings to your bow. What he needs to develop definitely is his game on the ball, in terms of quick combinations with his team-mates. That is where he falls short, I think, and it's something that's not as exposed at a club like Everton.

"But if you play at the highest level, your finesse on the ball in the final third, your decision making has to be absolutely spot on. Yes he would bring power, he would bring strength, but when you look over the years at the strikers United have had, does he fit in the same line of strikers? I don't think so."

Clearly frustrated with ongoing media speculation regarding his future, Lukaku publicly expressed frustration with the press over the weekend.

"Some media these days are annoying, man," he wrote on Twitter. "As long as I didn't make a public statement about my situation please stay out of my business OK?"