Lukaku hits the ground running with Red Devils

Man utd: New £75m striker straight into thick of the action

Romelu Lukaku has hit the ground running at Manchester United, training with his new team-mates in Los Angeles within an hour of completing his big-money move from Everton.

A return to former club Chelsea had looked likely for much of the summer, only for United to swoop in and gazump the Premier League champions.

Lukaku has arrived in a deal worth £75 million plus add-ons, penning a fiveyear deal at Old Trafford with the option of a sixth.

That first session came within an hour of official confirmation of the deal, the player having been on holiday in Los Angeles with United midfielder Paul Pogba.

Lukaku stayed with the team at their Beverly Hills hotel on Sunday and arrived with his new team-mates at UCLA yesterday morning, signing autographs and posing for photos for supporters.

The striker was made to sweat alongside as United’s pre-season tour got under way, with the first of a double session yesterday taking place at Drake Stadium in temperatures around 30C.

Jose Mourinho looked far more happy with the set-up in LA compared to last summer’s ill-fated tour in China and is delighted to be working with Lukaku once again.

“Romelu is a natural fit for Manchester United,” he said of a player he sold when Chelsea manager in 2014.

“He is a big personality and a big player. It is only natural that he wants to develop his career at the biggest club.

“He will be a great addition to the group and I know they will make him very welcome.

“I am really looking forward to working with him again.”

Mourinho named a 27-man group for United’s summer tour, although the arrival of Lukaku has already swollen that number.

Fellow new boy Victor Lindelof, a summer acquisition from Benfica, trained with his new team-mates at UCLA, where Luke Shaw and Ashley Young worked away from the main group as they step up their return from injury.

United’s first match of the tour comes against the LA Galaxy on Saturday, before friendlies against Real Salt Lake, Manchester City, Real Madrid and Barcelona.

It is understood Tottenham’s Eric Dier remains a target as talk of a move for Chelsea defensive midfielder Nemanja Matic dissipates.

Inter Milan’s Ivan Perisic continues to be linked with a move to Old Trafford, while speculation remains as to who will follow Wayne Rooney out of the club.

United’s all-time top scorer completed his return to boyhood club Everton on Sunday.

Getty. Romelu Lukaku during training with Manchester United at the Drake Stadium in Los Angeles yesterday.