Former Barcelona player Pedro had been almost certain to join Manchester United back in 2015 but at the last moment Chelsea swooped in and took him to Stamford Bridge. However, it seems that Manchester United has returned the favor this year by acquiring Everton's prolific striker Romelu Lukaku despite several reports claiming Chelsea to be the frontrunners for his signature, according to the BBC.
Statement of intent
Manchester United has been on the hunt for a top striker ever since the 2016-17 league season finished and today the club announced that they had reached an agreement with Everton's prolific Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku.
The deal is worth around $97 million (converted from £75 million). According to reports in the English media over the past month or so, Lukaku was all set to join Chelsea but United stole a march on the London club out of nowhere and completed a deal that will surely make their fans happy.
United had not extended their previous season's top scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic's contract while Chelsea's top striker Diego Costa is on the verge of leaving the club and in such a situation, it did not come as a surprise that the two clubs eventually entered into a tussle for Lukaku. United was after Real Madrid's Spanish striker Alvaro Morata all summer but a fee could not be agreed and as a result, Lukaku soon became the Red Devils' primary target.
The right solution
As a club, Manchester United has been defined by talismanic strikers, starting from the days of Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole to Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney, which is why it was absolutely necessary for them to sign a proven goal scorer this summer. Lukaku, who first came to the English Premier League in 2011 following his move to Chelsea, has become a prolific scorer and last season scored 25 goals for Everton in the league.
On the other hand, United had suffered from a chronic paucity of goals and it seems that the club has found the perfect solution to their problems.
In addition to that, Lukaku is still only 24 years old and has years of top level football left in him. The jaw-dropping fee that United has paid for him will eventually seem like a bargain if he continues to score freely for the Jose Mourinho managed side for the next decade.
According to some reports, Chelsea manager Antonio Conte had been convinced that the Belgian was going to join the 2017 Premier League champions and will now need to find a good enough replacement for Diego Costa if the club is to put up a credible defense of their title.
