Lukaku injured – and Inter bid falls well short
Manchester United have rejected Inter Milan’s 60 million euros offer for Romelu Lukaku – but Antonio Conte has not given up hope of signing the striker.
Just two years after joining the Old Trafford giants, the 26-year-old is keen to move on to pastures new, with the Serie A side eager to bring him to the San Siro.
It’s understood United received a 60 million euros (£54 million) bid from Inter two days ago, which was rejected out of hand as it falls well short of their valuation.
The two clubs met for an International Champions Cup clash in Singapore yesterday, when the player’s latest knock meant he watched his current employers win 1-0 from the sidelines.
Asked about Inter’s bid – and interest in Leicester defender Harry Maguire – United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said: “Well, of course, you want to have your team settled as early as possible.
“But, as I said here as well, whoever’s available, we work with them and we work with them to get them performing.”
Lukaku has yet to feature for United in pre-season due to knocks that appear to be frustrating his manager.
“If you’re a player and you don’t manage to train for a week – and he’s missed three games now – of course I think he’ll be concerned,” Solskjaer said.
“He’s working to get back on the pitch and let’s see how long that takes. It’s his ankle.”
Whether Lukaku ever dons a United shirt again remains to be seen, as Inter boss Conte remains keen to sign a player who turned him down when Chelsea manager in 2017.
“I think that I have always answered yesterday about Lukaku,” he said. “I think that it’s not right to speak about the player that in this moment is a United player.
“For this reason, I think we must show great respect for the club and at the same time also for the player. ■ Liverpool’s pre-season preparations were dealt a blow after being beaten 3-2 by Borussia Dortmund in their first match of a tour of the US.
In stifling conditions at the Notre Dame Stadium in Indiana, the European champions faced the Bundesliga runners-up, missing veterans Roberto Firmino, Alisson, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane due to the Copa America and African Cup of Nations.
Liverpool were hurt by a sloppy defence and Dortmund wasted no time in finding the net courtesy of a close-range strike from Paco Alcacer after just three minutes.
Harry Wilson scored in the 35th minute to draw level, but Dortmund scored two quick goals after the break through Delaney and Bruun Larsen.
Rhian Brewster converted a penalty in the 75th minute after Ben Woodburn was brought down in the box, but the Reds could not find the equaliser in front of a 40,361-strong crowd.
Liverpool today continue their pre-season tour at Boston’s Fenway Park against Sevilla.
■ In the final of the Premier League Asia Trophy, Wolves held Manchester City to a goalless draw, then prevailed in the penalty shootout 3-2.
In the third-place play-off, Yoshinori Muto scored the only goal as Newcastle, now under manager Steve Bruce, beat West Ham 1-0 in Shanghai.