Will Romelu Lukaku be the force who will turn around Manchester United’s struggling attack? Not since the start of the English Premier League has United scored as few league goals as it’sscored in the last two seasons: 49 in 2015-16 and 54 in 2016-17.
Lukaku, the all-time leading Everton scorer in the EPL with 68 goals and the first Everton player to score more than 20goals in a season in more than 30 years with 25 goals in 2016-17, will be under enormous pressure to deliver for the notoriously cautious Jose Mourinho.
How will in Lukaku succeedin lifting United to the top of the EPL where Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who scored 28 of United’s 54 goals last season, couldn’t? The 24-year-old Belgian will certainly add to the United youthmovement up front alongside best buddy Paul Pogba, 24, Anthony Martial, 21, and Marcus Rashford, 19.
At $96 million, Lukaku’s transfer is the second-highest in EPLhistory behind Pogba’s $115 million transfer from Juventus last summer.
Lukaku says Pogba played a big role in his decision to join United.
“He is one of my best friends, andhe is my neighbor as well,” Lukaku said on Monday. “We are always together on a daily basis so he would explain to me how things were going. When he signed for United, to have witnessed that, itreally triggered something in my brain and I knew that if one day I had the chance to sign then I would not say no.”
Lukaku knows Mourinho, at least indirectly. He was on the Blues’ booksfor three seasons, the last in 2013-14 when Mourinho returned to Stamford Bridge. Lukaku joined Everton on loan and was sold after one season.
“I am really looking forward to it, that isthe most exciting part,” he said. “We have a really good relationship and I always dreamed to play under him since I was 10. To have the opportunity at 24 to work under him and to be part of his plansfor challenges for trophies is exciting. I think he is a manager to help us to win trophies and I can’t wait to start working under him again.”
In effect, a trade of Rooney and bags of money for Lukaku.