On Thursday, news broke that Manchester United had acquired striker Romelu Lukaku from Everton. Numerous trusted media outlets, from all over the world, said a £75m agreement had been reached. However, neither club had publicly confirmed the deal as of then, thus opening the door for two more days of speculation and gossip.
It’s been reported that Chelsea matched United’s offer, but in the end it was too little, too late. Chelsea supposedly maintained that Lukaku preferred joining them over United, but his agent Mino Raiola wanted him at Old Trafford instead.
United have now announced, via their official Twitter account, the acquisition of Romelu Lukaku.
Have a look:
#MUFC is delighted to announce a fee has been agreed with Everton for the transfer of Romelu Lukaku, subject to a medical & personal terms. pic.twitter.com/O7oQJWzYHo
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) July 8, 2017
With the new Belgian scoring sensation officially on board, how does he fit into the United starting XI? Here’s a link to two potential line-ups that Manager Jose Mourinho could utilize that incorporate his newest acquisition.
Lukaku trained with close friend and Red Devils midfielder Paul Pogba yesterday at UCLA, the MUFC training site for their preseason tour in the United States. Lukaku was already in Los Angeles on vacation while the deal was being hammered out and he will undergo his club medical evaluation in L.A.
The rest of the team is scheduled to arrive in southern California tomorrow, ahead of the USA tour. Lukaku to United provides a Chelsea reunion with Jose Mourinho and Juan Mata (who expressed his excitement with the acquisition and the idea of playing with the Belgian again), and it also gives him a chance to now play alongside Pogba, his partner in bromance.
For Chelsea, having now lost out on a top summer transfer target, they must re-focus on the acquisition of a top new striker. With Diego Costa leaving, and Lukaku not the replacement, Stamford Bridge is expected to pursue Andrea Belotti and Alvaro Morata.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, currently contributes to WGN CLTV and KOZN.
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