Romelu Lukaku and Álvaro Morata are both 24, were both wanted by Chelsea and Manchester United, and both looking to win their first Premier League title. But who is the better striker?
Finishing
A striker is only as good as the number of goals he scores and finishing is an integral part of a forward’s game. Lukaku and Morata are two of the best in Europe when it comes to shot conversion. Last season Lukaku scored with 23 per cent of his shots while Morata bettered that with a 28 per cent conversion rate and scored on average every 90 minutes — only Lionel Messi had a better conversion rate in La Liga last term.
Both players are capable of slamming the ball in from range or gently caressing a shot to score but Lukaku scores a larger number of goals with his weaker foot than the Spaniard.
Lukaku 4/5
Morata 5/5
Strength
Few players possess the strength and power that Lukaku boasts. His game is based on his ability to physically assert himself by occupying defenders to set up chances for the team, and his strength is a nightmare for opponents.
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Morata is no lightweight either. Chelsea’s new striker scored the second highest number of headed goals in the Spanish league last season (six) and has the power to bring his team-mates into play by holding up the ball.
Lukaku 5/5
Morata 3/5
Movement
The sight of Lukaku racing away from defenders having beaten the offside trap has become a familiar one in the Premier League. Lukaku’s movement in behind may be limited given that opposing teams are more likely to sit deep against United compared to what he was used to at Everton, but with players like Paul Pogba and Ander Herrera behind you, chances are never far away.
Morata, who has 20 caps for Spain, will have Premier League defenders constantly looking behind their shoulders checking his whereabouts. His pace makes him a threat getting in behind the defence and a danger when cutting in from the left-hand side in a similar fashion to Cristiano Ronaldo. With a poacher’s instinct, plenty of Morata’s goals come from him being alert in the box, locating space where he will not be marked.
Lukaku 4/5
Morata 4/5
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Control
Everton fans will be the first to tell you that Lukaku’s first touch is an area of his game he needs to work on. One-touch finishes, head and chest control are not an issue, but José Mourinho will be keen to see an improvement in his footwork when it comes to controlling a pass.
Morata is light and elegant with his footwork and is graced with a very good first touch which opens up space for him to run into or have a shot on goal.
Lukaku 2/5
Morata 4/5
Dribbling
When Lukaku gets up to top speed he’s hard to stop, but he first needs to get going, and the powerful Belgian requires space to run into so he can build up momentum. In tight areas he is less effective.
Morata is a nimble and skilful player with quick feet that allow him to glide beyond defenders or get himself out of tight situations. The forward frequently collects the ball from deep and runs at defenders, often making them look pretty foolish.
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Lukaku 3/5
Morata 5/5
The verdict
Both players are incredibly talented and will expect to be competing for the Golden Boot at the end of the season.
Morata has the potential to be a better asset to Chelsea than Lukaku will be to United, although the latter has the advantage of five years of Premier League experience under his belt. If Morata is to match Lukaku’s goals, he will have to adapt to the Premier League quickly which is likely given how he settled fairly well in Italy when at Juventus.
Lukaku 18
Morata 21