Lukaku Could Not Say No To United

Lukaku Could Not Say No To United

Romelu Lukaku has admitted he could not turn down the opportunity to join Manchester United after hearing Jose Mourinho’s plans for the club.

The Belgian signed for United earlier this summer for an initial fee of £75m, but that was not before intense speculation linking him with a move back to his former club Chelsea. The Blues had been favourites to sign Lukaku and seemed his likely destination, that was until United hijacked the deal, and Lukaku says it was Mourinho’s influence that swayed his decision.

Mourinho was in charge at Chelsea when Lukaku left the club, making it more unlikely that the 24-year-old would want to rejoin with his former boss. But the striker has insisted that it was the Portuguese manager who a big reason why he signed – not because of his good friend Paul Pogba.


“We were just on holiday together,” said Lukaku on Pogba’s influence of his transfer. “At the end of the day, I had to make my own choices.”

“It was the conversation I had with the manager that really convinced me the most, the plans and how he wanted to rebuild the club and he wanted me to be part of it. I am grateful for the chance.”

Lukaku will wear the No.9 shirt next season, replacing Zlatan Ibrahimovic who was United’s top scorer last season. However, Lukaku blew Zlatan’s goal tally away and hopes to keep up his goalscoring form in the upcoming season.

“It feels great [to be a United player],” Lukaku said. “It is something I always wanted.”

“I always wanted to play for a club of this stature. Now I am here I want to take my chance and try to deliver as much as I could for the club. I don’t want to talk about personal ambitions. I just want to work hard on a daily basis and win as many games as I can.”

[Quotes via Sky Sports]