Romelu Lukaku believes that Everton displayed their ambition by keeping hold of key defender John Stones in the summer, amid strong interest from Chelsea.

It was no secret that Chelsea were eyeing a move for Stones but despite receiving bids in excess of £30million, Everton stood firm on their decision not to offload the young defender.

The decision seems to be justified now as Stones has played a huge part in Everton's fine start to the season and teammate Lukaku believes that the Toffees made a statement of intent by keeping the England international away from the clutches of Chelsea.

Lukaku told Sky Sports: "It's a statement for the club, for me. It's nice to see that John showed his character and the club did their job to keep the player.

"But it's up to us to help John improve to reach the top level, as he is doing at the moment. I think the club made a statement by keeping him here at the club."