How Solskjaer Reacted When Lukaku Made The Decision To Leave
REUTERS/Daniele Mascolo
Manchester United have come under heavy fire this season for their decision to sell Romelu Lukaku and loan out Alexis Sanchez, leaving their frontline shy of clinical attacking options.
While the fact that the two players weren’t performing at the best of their abilities and siphoning off immense amounts through their paychecks hasn’t gone unnoticed, United still seem to be struggling with their lack of attacking options.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was the obvious scapegoat for making the choice, as well as for not signing an apt replacement.
However, a recent revelation from Lukaku himself may put a different spin on the matter.
Speaking to Het Belang van Limburg, Lukaku revealed: “Solskjaer has my eternal respect. He understood me when I said in March that it was time for me to leave England. I have been in the Premier League as an 18-year-old boy and now I am 26. Solskjaer wanted to keep me, but I was ready for something new.”
This appears to indicate that Solskjaer himself may have not been of the mood to sell the striker.
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Lukaku went on to add about his solid start to life at Inter Milan: “I have had a good relationship with trainer Antonio Conte for three years and I know exactly what he expects of me.
The first two weeks at Inter I worked very hard with the group and when my teammates got some rest, I trained individually. Thanks to my football intelligence, I integrated easily. We play in a system with two strikers and that suits me. Anyway, I already knew my team-mates in advance.”
Anthony Martial’s return from injury at Old Trafford has had a significant difference in United’s recent fortunes, with strings of wins as well as plenty of goals coming in.
Solskjaer has also defended Lukaku’s sale by stating that it opened up an opportunity for academy graduate Mason Greenwood to make a mark this season.
