Lukaku comments on Everton departure – Why Everton need to forget him

Romelu Lukaku has opened up about exactly how he left Everton and the manner in which his departure came about.

The Belgian forward left the Toffees in 2017 for Manchester United in a deal that amounted to around £90million, and the majority of Everton fans were distressed at the time, with no-one happy to be losing such an important player.

Lukaku’s former agent Mino Raiola had claimed that the Belgian and Everton were “99% done” on agreeing a new long-term contract, only for the forward to change his mind and leave the club for ‘greener pastures’.

Now, the now Inter Milan striker has spoken out about the manner in which he left the club. Talking on the LightHarted Podcast (via Liverpool Echo), Lukaku had this to say:

I expected a move that summer [2017]. I was in the team of the year, I was in the nominees for player of the year. So I thought something was gonna happen.

For months I was negotiating with Chelsea at the time, I’m not even saying months I’m saying years. Two years straight.

I was at Everton and we beat them [Chelsea] in the quarter finals [of the FA Cup], we won 2-0 and I scored two goals. Two weeks before that, that’s when Chelsea called me and said, ‘the coach we’re going to get next year wants you’.

So we played the game, we win 2-0 and then for two years I talked with Chelsea. One summer it didn’t happen because I didn’t want to put up a fight with Everton, then I stayed.

But the second year I was going to Chelsea, I was gone. I was looking for an apartment for my mum to stay in, a house close to the practice facility so I didn’t have to drive too far.

And then Man U came. I felt the trust more, where everybody wanted me to be there. That’s a true story.

People bring up my agent and stuff like that, they can say whatever they want he did his job. He got me the best opportunity for me, with the people that wanted me the most.

Read Everton Verdict

From a personal perspective, I can get behind a player leaving to win trophies. Mikel Arteta did it back in the day, and at the time of Lukaku’s departure, I could accept (albeit sadly) that the forward was bigger than Everton, and that he deserved better.

That ends now though, and I won’t have another word said about how much he did for the Toffees, he’s firmly in the same bracket as fellow turncoat Ross Barkley.

Throughout his time on Merseyside, Lukaku was an abhorrent professional, constantly spouting about his desire to leave in the Belgian press. What he didn’t do though, was so openly disrespect Everton by talking to other clubs behind their back.

Oh wait, he did? Well isn’t that grand.

Lukaku should not be spoken about as a modern Everton great, neither should he deserve any more praise than he has already received for his ability alone. Lukaku’s unprofessional disregard and blatant disrespect for Everton is disgusting, and the sooner the club can find someone (hopefully Moise Kean) to take his Everton goalscoring record from him, the better.