Man Utd boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has reportedly made a U-turn on his decision regarding Romelu Lukaku’s future at Old Trafford.
As noted by The Mirror on Monday, it had been suggested that the Norwegian tactician had informed the Belgian forward that he can leave United if a suitable offer is made, with the player himself said to be keen on a switch to join Inter.
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It comes after Lukaku managed just 15 goals in 45 appearances last season, and with Solskjaer seemingly preferring more pace and movement up front through the likes of Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial, the future did look bleak for the former Everton ace.
However, The Sun now report that Solskjaer has made a stunning U-turn on that previously touted decision to listen to offers for his striker, as it’s now claimed that he has urged him to stay at Man Utd next season as he will get opportunities to stake a claim for a starting berth.
It’s difficult to see what is behind the reported change of heart, as ultimately Lukaku will offer the same strengths and weaknesses and Solskjaer will have had plenty of time last season to assess whether or not he forms part of his long-term plans at Man Utd.
Nevertheless, it’s now suggested that he would prefer Lukaku to stay and give him chances to lead the line in his preferred centre-forward role along with Rashford, while it’s specifically noted that United were open to selling if they could recoup the £75m they spent to sign him in the first place.
It remains to be seen how that now influences the situation, as that could also now have a knock-on effect to United’s own transfer plans as if Lukaku stays, it seems unlikely that they’ll try and bring in another striker if there is no void to fill.
From a positive perspective, that could allow them to focus on other areas of the squad that they believe need strengthening, albeit they won’t get the transfer fee for Lukaku to go towards reinvesting back into the squad.
