Emma Jonson 
After falling out of favor at his former club Manchester United under head coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Romelu Lukaku has joined Italian giant Inter Milan on the final day of the English Premier League transfer window. Reportedly, the deal has cost the Italian side a whopping $90 million (£74M), with the Belgian striker signing a five-year contract and thus breaking Milan’s transfer record transfer fee in the process.
Lukaku arrived in Milan late at night on 7th August. Video footage has surfaced on the social media of hundreds of fans greeting him as he walked through the arrivals hall. Speaking last week, Inter Milan head coach Antonio Conte had revealed he had tried to sign Lukaku while he was in charge of Chelsea between 2016-18.
The striker had joined Manchester United from Everton two years ago in a deal worth £75 million ($91 million). But he failed to live up to his exorbitant price tag with a lackluster performance of 42 goals in 96 appearances for the club. Especially his poor performance in the last season made Marcus Rashford the coach’s first choice.
“It was time now for Rom to go because I think we got a good deal. He’s happy, so I think both parties ended that deal as it should be,” Solskjaer said. Manchester United also wished the Belgian International farewell with a short statement. “Everybody would like to thank Romelu for his efforts at the club and pass on our best wishes for the future,” they said.
However, Lukaku hopes to get off to a fresh start with his new club. He has already scored four goals in his debut against Serie D club Virtus Bergamo in a pre-season friendly. Inter Milan have shown their faith in him by handing him over the iconic 9 number jersey. It was formerly worn by legends of the game such as Diego Forlan, Samuel Eto’o, Hernan Crespo, Julio Cruz, and Ronaldo. Fans of the Italian side are in hope that Lukaku will emulate them and be a part of their history.