UK Edition
Jose Mourinho reveals how Man Utd beat Chelsea to Romelu Lukaku
Jose Mourinho has revealed how Manchester United’s spending power rather than any personal relationship with Romelu Lukaku enabled him to beat his former club Chelsea to sign the prolific Belgian from Everton this summer.
Lukaku faces his old team on Sunday afternoon, after a hugely productive start to the campaign, which has seen him score six goals in as many appearances for United, and 10 goals in eight games when two Belgium internationals are factored in.
Mourinho said: “I don’t think it was my influence, no. I think that we paid the money that Everton asked for and we paid the player the wages that his agent asked for and we paid the agents the commission that they asked for. I don’t see another reason.”
Mourinho’s succinct analysis may be yet another in a long series of veiled jibes at his former employers in London but, also speaks to the special relationship United have struck over the past two summers with Lukaku’s agent Mino Raiola, who has also overseen the moves of Paul Pogba, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Henrikh Mkhitaryan to Old Trafford on Mourinho’s watch.
The £75 million paid by United for Lukaku, with another potential £15 million to come in reported add-ons, may have been beyond the level Chelsea were prepared to pay but, given the escalation of the summer transfer market, it now looks value for money.
While Lukaku and Wayne Rooney, who made the journey in the opposite direction over the summer, will be at the centre of attention at Old Trafford, United are also benefitting from another player to have made the short journey across the M62.
Lukaku’s Belgian international team mate Marouane Fellaini was viewed by his critics as the embodiment of David Moyes’ futile season as United manager during his first unproductive campaigns at Old Trafford, but Mourinho is a big fan and spoke of his importance to the squad.
As Everton meet up with old friends, Koeman's fury will still be ringing in their after three consecutive defeats against Chelsea, Tottenham and Atalanta.
Despite nine senior signings, Everton still appear one-paced, disjointed, painfully short in attack and have conceded eight goals without scoring in those three defeats.