Romelu Lukaku has said Manchester United failed to “protect” him amid stories regarding a transfer this summer and that he concluded he was not wanted and should leave. The striker, who joined Internazionale for a fee that could reach £74m, also said he was made a scapegoat during United’s difficult periods, along with Paul Pogba and Alexis Sánchez.
Speaking on the NBA player Josh Hart’s LightHarted podcast, Lukaku appeared to believe that leaks about his future had come from within the club. “A lot of stuff has been said where I didn’t feel protected,” he said. “I felt like a lot of rumours, ‘Rom going there’, ‘They don’t want Rom’, and nobody came out to shut it down.”
Lukaku scored 42 goals in 96 games for United but believes he was singled out for criticism when results were poor. “They have to find somebody [to blame],” he said. “It is Pogba, it is me or it is Alexis. It’s the three of us all the time.” He contrasted his form for Belgium, where he has scored 48 goals, suggesting the problems do not lie with him.
The striker joined United from Everton for £75m in 2017, saying the desire of José Mourinho and the club to sign him was why he chose Old Trafford over Chelsea. Ultimately, he felt the lack of support forced his exit. “If you don’t want to protect somebody, all these rumours come out,” he said. “I told them it’s not good for me to be at a place where I’m not wanted.”
