While Romelu Lukaku had a decent debut season at Manchester United, it is fair to say he didn't meet expectations at the club. Arriving with a £75million price tag hanging over his head, he was fighting an uphill battle from the start.
His form deteriorated steadily over his time at Old Trafford. It seemed obvious that the player was not in the same physical shape he had been on his arrival and he lost a yard of pace as a result.
He would be dropped by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer last season, with the United boss opting for a pacier front line of Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial. It was becoming clear Lukaku was not in his plans, with his transfer to Inter in the summer not a shock.
Lukaku has now revealed when he knew his time at the club was over. Speaking to Corriere dello Sport (h/t Football Italia), the striker spoke about his goals at his new club and said that he knew he had to leave United when Solskjaer suggested switching his position.
I don't mind being the most expensive player in Inter's history, nor replacing Icardi, who give a lot here in Milan...
I first learned to speak Italian whilst watching my brother Jordan playing for Lazio on TV. Once I learned that [Ole Gunnar] Solsjkaer planned to put me on the wing, then I knew my time at Manchester United was over...
I've dreamed of Inter for some time. I loved Ronaldo and Adriano, but it was Ibra that taught me everything, especially in our talks on the team bus. I believe he will return to Serie A.
For someone who prides themselves on scoring goals, being shifted out wide was never going to acceptable for Lukaku. In saying that, he did play out wide at times for Belgium in recent years, although that was in a fluid system that allowed him to move into central areas.
It had been rumoured that Solskjaer did would have been happy for the player to remain at United but had no issue if he chose to move on. Lukaku opted for the latter, a move that was probably best for all parties involved.
