Romelu Lukaku finally is a Red Devil for country and club.
The Premier League star joined Manchester United from Everton on Monday in a reported £75m ($96.6 million) transfer. Lukaku is expected to be Manchester United’s first-choice striker next season and fill the void created by Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s departure.
Having signed a five-year contract with Manchester United, Lukaku and his new team announced his acquisition with delight.
First of all i want to thank God for this opportunity. Delighted and blessed to be part of the greatest club in the world @ManUtd pic.twitter.com/dWrQjHkH5a
— R.Lukaku Bolingoli9 (@RomeluLukaku9) July 10, 2017
“Romelu is a natural fit for Manchester United,” Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho told the club website. “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.”
Many believed Lukaku would sign with Chelsea, the team that sold him to Everton for £28m in July 2014. But Manchester United made the first move for his services this summer and warded off Chelsea’s desperate attempts to bring him back to the club.
Lukaku, 24, has developed into one of the Premier League’s most reliable goal scorers since leaving his native Belgium in 2011 at age 18.
GRAPHIC: Romelu Lukaku Premier League Progress Report #MUFC https://t.co/quPeFTiYVt pic.twitter.com/78XM2ia9ZB
— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) July 8, 2017
He’s one of just three players (joining Olivier Giroud and Sergio Aguero) to have scored 10-plus goals in each of the last five Premier League seasons and the fourth (with Wayne Rooney, Robbie Fowler and Michael Owen) to score 80-plus Premier League goals before age 24.
Everton hoped to sign Lukaku to a new contract last season, but he rejected their offer in March in a last-minute about-face, claiming he wanted to play for a UEFA Champions League team.
Lukaku now has his wish and plenty of time to prove he’s an elite player at the Premier League, Champions League and international levels.
Thumbnail photo via LiverpoolFC.com
