Napoli, Italy — Lukaku Reveals He Did Not Intend to Join Manchester United in 2017
Napoli striker Romelu Lukaku has revealed that joining Manchester United in 2017 was not his original plan, despite interest from Antonio Conte’s Chelsea at the time.
The Belgian forward moved from Everton to Manchester United in the summer of 2017 for a reported fee of around £75 million, under the management of Jose Mourinho.
Lukaku first joined Chelsea on loan during the 2013-14 season, where he scored 13 Premier League goals. After that season, he signed permanently with Chelsea and spent three more productive years at the club.
In an interview with Het Nieuwsblad, Lukaku admitted that he had initially planned to return to Chelsea rather than move to Manchester United.
“I had already told everyone: I’m going to Chelsea. But suddenly Mourinho called me to say that Manchester United had made an offer,” Lukaku explained.
“After coming back from vacation, I found out there was an agreement with Everton. I told my agent Mino Raiola, ‘I don’t want this,’ and then I decided to take control of the situation myself.”
During his two seasons at Old Trafford, Lukaku was among the Premier League’s top forwards, netting 42 goals in 96 appearances across all competitions.
By Taiwo Olatinwo/ June 3,2025
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