The Belgian forward joined United from Everton in a deal worth around £75 million
Romelu Lukaku has admitted he never intended to join Manchester United in the summer of 2017, saying that the move was mostly completed without his knowledge.
The Belgian forward left Everton for United in a deal worth around £75 million. He spent two seasons at Old Trafford, scoring 42 goals and assisting 12 in 96 appearances.
“I had already told everyone: I’m going to Chelsea,” Lukaku told Belgian outlet Het Nieuwsblad. “But suddenly Mourinho called me to say that Manchester United had made an offer. I came back from vacation and suddenly there was an agreement with Everton. I said to Mino [Raiola, his agent at the time]: ‘I don’t want this’.”
After that, Lukaku then cut ties with his agent, deciding he would be “doing everything” himself.
While Lukaku did enjoy spells of good form at United, particularly under Mourinho, the move never felt entirely comfortable. There was a tactical mismatch and the player eventually left the club in 2019 for Inter Milan, where he rediscovered his best football and lifted a Serie A title.
He eventually got his wish to return to Chelsea in 2021 in a £97.5 million deal, but his second spell in west London was no fairytale either. His form dipped, he fell out of favour under Thomas Tuchel, and a controversial interview where he openly expressed dissatisfaction with the manager’s system effectively ended his second Chelsea chapter.
Now 32 and playing for Napoli, Lukaku scored 14 goals last season and will be a key figure at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona next season, alongside former Manchester United teammate Scott McTominay and fellow Belgium international Kevin De Bruyne, who joined the Serie A champions this summer.
