Romelu Lukaku Says Ole Gunnar Solskjaer Wanted Him to Stay at Manchester United

Inter Milan striker Romelu Lukaku has revealed he made his decision to leave Manchester United well before the end of last season and that Red Devils manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wanted him to stay at Old Trafford.

The Belgian spoke to Belgian newspaper Het Belang van Limburg while on international duty, discussing both his old manager and new boss, Antonio Conte (h/t Naveen Ullal of Sport Witness):

"Solskjaer has my eternal respect. He understood me when I said in March that it was time for me to leave England. I have been in the Premier League as an 18-year-old boy, and now I am 26. Solskjaer wanted to keep me, but I was ready for something new.

"I have had a good relationship with trainer Antonio Conte for three years, and I know exactly what he expects of me. The first two weeks at Inter I worked very hard with the group and when my teammates got some rest, I trained individually.

"Thanks to my football intelligence, I integrated easily. We play in a system with two strikers, and that suits me. Anyway, I already knew my team-mates in advance."

Martin Meissner/Associated Press

Lukaku and team-mate Alexis Sanchez moved to Inter during the summer, leaving the Red Devils short on experienced attackers. Per Sport Witness, Solskjaer has said it was the right decision to let them leave, even though United's attack has lagged well behind that of the Premier League's top clubs.

In 12 matches, the Red Devils have scored 16 goals. The top four clubs of Liverpool, Leicester City, Chelsea and Manchester City have all scored 27 or more.

And while United's young forwards have struggled for consistency, Lukaku has made a superb start to life in the Italian fashion capital:

With nine goals in Serie A already, the 26-year-old leads the way for an Inter team that sits just a point behind champions Juventus. He has quickly formed a deadly partnership with Lautaro Martinez, and the two have combined for 14 league goals―just two fewer than United have as a team.

Lukaku's two most recent goals came in a win over Bologna:

While the short-term effects of the exit were always likely to harm United, the switch should prove beneficial for all parties in the long run. The Red Devils are committed to a rebuild, and by parting with the Belgian, it decreased some of the pressure on Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial.

The two don't have to look over their shoulder, worried their minutes could go to Lukaku if they have a bad spell, and both have flashed their immense potential at times this season. Their development is key with an eye on the future.

Lukaku is playing some of the best football of his career in Italy as the primary attacking option for a contender. He has taken well to Serie A and should be a star at Inter for years to come.