The claim that Everton sold a Premier League icon who would have been worth more than Romelu Lukaku in 2024 cannot be verified from the available evidence: the player, valuation source and comparison method are unidentified. The documented figures do show why transfer fees and a player’s estimated worth must not be treated as interchangeable.
What is established about Lukaku’s value to Everton?
In 2014, Everton manager Roberto Martínez argued that Lukaku was worth more to Everton than the £28 million the club had paid Chelsea, according to The Guardian’s report of 28 August 2014. The article also reported that Chelsea had paid £32 million for Diego Costa.
Martínez’s view concerned Lukaku’s value to Everton at that time—the contribution he could make to the team—not a market valuation for 2024. The fee Everton paid, a manager’s assessment of a player’s importance, and a later estimate of his transfer-market value are different measures.
How do Lukaku’s and Everton’s later sale fees compare?
EFC Statto’s transfer-history listing records Lukaku’s 2017 move to Manchester United at an initial fee of £75 million and Amadou Onana’s 2024 move to Aston Villa at an initial fee of £50 million. These are reported nominal transfer fees, not comparable estimates of what either player was worth in 2024.
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| Transfer | Reported fee | What the figure represents |
|---|---|---|
| Everton to Manchester United: Romelu Lukaku, 2017 | £75 million initial fee | Fee recorded by EFC Statto; a reported transfer figure, not a 2024 valuation. |
| Everton to Aston Villa: Amadou Onana, 2024 | £50 million initial fee | Fee recorded by EFC Statto; a reported transfer figure, not a 2024 valuation. |
A separate transfer-fee listing also records these sales among Everton’s largest, but such databases provide reported estimates rather than a common market-valuation measure. The nominal figures alone do not establish which player would have been worth more in 2024.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Can the “worth more than Lukaku in 2024” claim be confirmed?
Not on the evidence identified. The player described as the “PL icon” has not been named by a located source, and there is no identified 2024 valuation for that player or matching Lukaku valuation. The possibility that the headline refers to Wayne Rooney is unconfirmed.
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A fair comparison would need to specify both players, use the same valuation source and date, and explain whether it compares estimated market values or actual transfer fees. If it adjusts historic fees for inflation or changes in the transfer market, it would also need to state the adjustment method. Without those details, the headline’s comparison remains an unverified claim rather than a conclusion supported by the reported fees.
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