Brilliant Beto shouldn’t be compared to Lukaku – Deulofeu
Carlo Garganese
- 9 Dec 2021 10:28 GMT
- 4 min read
Gerard Deulofeu has hailed his Udinese teammate Beto but has played down comparisons of the Portuguese striker with Romelu Lukaku.
Beto has been one of the breakout stars of the 2021-22 season since his summer move from lowly Primeira Liga side Portimonense.
TRENDING
The striker has scored six goals in 11 starts and has been compared by the Italian media to Chelsea striker Lukaku.
Standing at 6ft 4in and blessed with ferocious power and pace, Beto possesses impressive physical attributes.
Maurizio Sarri's Lazio trail at home against Udinese! 😬
Beto rises highest to plant a brilliant header beyond Pepe Reina! 💥 pic.twitter.com/rrLFYPYSZO— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) December 2, 2021
His Udinese teammate Deulofeu is a big fan of the Portuguese forward but says he shouldn’t be compared to the Belgian.
What did Deulofeu say about Beto?
“You can’t compare Beto to Lukaku,” Deulofeu told The Italian Football Podcast in an interview that will be aired on Thursday. “They are two different players.
“I really like Beto. I like his mentality to push on the pitch, to improve every single game. I like these types of players.
“We speak a lot because we usually play very close on the pitch. He is a really good guy and I think we will do great things together and score a lot of goals together.”
Deulofeu himself is also enjoying an excellent season, having scored four goals and delivered two assists – his best return already in Serie A for a single season.
🚨 EXCLUSIVE 🚨
Quote from our interview with @Udinese_1896 winger @gerardeulofeu on playing with “16 year old monster” @gigiodonna1 at @acmilan
Full interview out tomorrow
✍️👂👇https://t.co/4uYIwvfjRQ pic.twitter.com/4hxfoFV6lE— The Italian Football Podcast (@ItaFootPod) December 8, 2021
The 27-year-old previously enjoyed an excellent spell at AC Milan in the 2016-17 season where he played with a then-16-year-old Gigio Donnarumma.
And Deulofeu says he could tell straight away that Donnarumma was going to become a phenomenal goalkeeper.
“Watching him in training when he was 16 and in the games when I was at Milan, I could tell straight away he was a monster,” Deulofeu recalled.
“I have a lot of respect for him and it was a pleasure playing with him at Milan.”
Deulofeu will be in action on Saturday against his former team as Udinese host AC Milan at the Stadio Friuli.
