Lukaku couldn’t say no way, Jose
ROMELU LUKAKU could not turn down the chance to join Manchester United after hearing Jose Mourinho’s plan to “rebuild the club”.
For much of the summer it had appeared that the 24-year-old was bound to leave Everton for Chelsea, only for United to swoop in and gazump his old club.
Mourinho was in charge when Lukaku was given the green light to leave Stamford Bridge, but three years on he now sees the striker as a key piece of the jigsaw at Old Trafford.
United forked out an initial £75million for the Belgium international, whose mind was made up by his manager’s plans rather than the persuasive powers of close friend Paul Pogba.
“We were just on holiday together,” Lukaku said of the United and France midfielder, who he was away with in Los Angeles as the move was finalised.
“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 has big boots to fill following the exit of injured top-scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic and the club’s all-time leading marksman Wayne Rooney.
However, the 24-yearold’s impressive ratio for Everton suggests he is ready to step up at Old Trafford – and the striker is clearly raring to go.
“It feels great [to be a United player],” Lukaku said in Washington.
“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.”