Udinese legend Antonio Di Natale has sang the praises of Inter striker Romelu Lukaku following the Belgian national team forward’s recent good form.

This season Lukaku, who is into his second season with Inter, has scored 11 goals in 12 games across all competitions and has scored four goals in Inter’s past three games.

“Lukaku is one of the strongest in the world, he has power, he holds the ball up well, he makes everyone go up the pitch, he scores. He is a force of nature,” Di Natale explained in an interview with Italian news outlet TuttoMercatoWeb.

Di Natale, who spent 12 years with Udinese between 2004 and 2016, then went on to discuss the recent media speculation concerning the future of Rodrigo de Paul with the Bianconeri club.

He said: “He is an important player for Udinese, he has shown attachment to the shirt even in difficult times. He is giving a lot to the team, even as captain.

“For his future it is up to him whether he wants to stay or not. He is certainly a top player now. It depends on him and also the owners. We have to see if an offer of €40-50 million will arrive.”

de Paul has been linked with potential moves to Inter, AC Milan and Juventus in recent weeks and Udinese are reportedly wanting in excess of €30 million for him.

The Argentine national team player, who has been with Udinese since 2016, has made 11 appearances across all competitions to date this season, during which he has scored two goals and provided three assists for his teammates.