Everton owner Farhad Moshiri has claimed that Manchester United was not the first option for Romelu Lukaku when he left Goodison Park last summer.
He moved to United as a replacement for Wayne Rooney, who was reunited with his boyhood club when he rejoined Everton.
Lukaku joined United for £75m, despite also being courted by Chelsea. Chelsea’s interest in Lukaku cooled, and they instead signed Alvaro Morata.
Moshiri claims the Belgian really wanted a move back to West London, having previously played for the Blues. And his mother played a part in Lukaku pining for the Blues, with reports of unfinished business from his previous stint at Stamford Bridge.
‘With Romelu I wasted two summers trying to keep him. I spoke to him, his agent, his mother,’ said Moshiri.
‘We tried to offer him a better offer than Chelsea. He wanted to play for Chelsea though – at that time.
The money that agents can get from players moving club is immense and nothing has to be disclosed. Bill (Kenwright) has been like a father to many players, but ultimately it’s the agents they rely on. ‘If I tell you what we offered him, you won’t believe it, and we offered him an even better deal.
‘His agent came to Finch Farm to sign the contract then Lukaku phones his mother and ‘there was a pilgrimage to Africa and some sort of voodoo that says he had to sign for Chelsea’.
What can you do? ‘He’d gone to LA and wouldn’t go back, his brain had gone. Luis Suarez had to bite a few players to get his move.’
Lukaku, Morata and Rooney each have ten Premier League goals this season.
By Steve Osborne
