• Manchester United legend Gary Neville has slammed Romelu Lukaku’s weight
•The Belgian has competed a £73million move to Inter Milan
Manchester United legend Gary Neville has slammed Romelu Lukaku’s attitude and for returning to pre-season overweight as the Belgian striker has left finally left the club.
Lukaku has wanted to quit Old Trafford all summer and has finally sorted a move away with a transfer to Inter Milan now imminent. The 26-year-old refused to return to Carrington in an attempt to push through a transfer in recent days. He even returned to pre-season training overweight earlier this summer and Neville insists his exit could be good for the club.
In reply to a tweet from Andy Mitten, the editor of fanzine United We Stand, the Sky Sports pundit tweeted on Thursday morning: ‘Andy he admitted he was overweight! He is over 100kg! He’s a Manchester United player! He will score goals and do well at Inter Milan but unprofessionalism is contagious’.
Neville accompanied his scathing verdict of Lukaku’s character with a sickness emoji and a hand waving. Lukaku is on his way to complete a medical ahead of finalising his £73m move to Inter Milan.
The Belgian has been the subject of heavy interest from Antonio Conte’s side and a breakthrough was struck between the two clubs on Wednesday night.
Lukaku was seen coming through the terminal building of an Italian airport in the early hours of Thursday morning as he looked to complete the formalities of his transfer.
United have yet to confirm the deal but it’s understood they accepted an improved offer in the region of £73m, including £12m in bonuses, after a day of negotiations involving Lukaku’s agent Federico Pastorello in London.
Lukaku will have his medical after leaving his hotel this morning for the Humanitas Research Hospital. United have also managed to secure a sell-on percentage in the deal.
It follows Lukaku’s attempts to force a move this week by training for two days with his old club Anderlecht in Brussels without United’s permission.
The player ignored the Premier League club’s demands to return and he has been fined two weeks’ wages – approximately £400,000— for his actions.
Lukaku had also been ordered to train with United’s Under 23s by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after upsetting his manager by posting confidential sprint stats on his Twitter account last week.
However, he failed to show up at Carrington for the second day in a row on Wednesday and was nowhere to be seen at Anderlecht’s Neerpede complex where he has been training with the club’s Under 18s.
There was also no sign of the player’s black Bentley at his house nearby. Lukaku has missed most of pre-season and all six of United’s warm-up games with a mystery ankle injury that has coincided with his attempts to secure a move to Italy.