Utah: It may have just been a friendly but Romelu Lukaku says that winning feeling is all what being a Manchester United player is about.
The new signing got off the mark with the winning goal in his first start for Manchester United on Monday as they came from behind to beat Real Salt Lake 2-1 in a pre-season game in Utah.
Lukaku lashed home a left-footed shot in the 38th minute after taking three touches to round a defender and the Salt Lake keeper, providing the first returns on a transfer fee media reports put at just under $100 million (Dh367.3 million).
“I’m delighted with the win for the team,” the Belgium international striker, who moved from Everton last week, told MUTV.
“I’m here to score goals and to be sort of the focal point for the team but at Manchester United we play to win, and that’s my mentality when I get on the pitch and everything else comes with it.” Henrikh Mkhitaryan had scored United’s first goal of the match just before the half hour mark to cancel out Luis Silva’s 20th minute opener for the home side.
United manager Jose Mourinho was furious after another of his forwards, Antonio Valencia, was shown a straight red card in the second half for a foul on Sebastian Saucedo and refused the referee’s request to substitute the Ecuadorian winger.
“I didn’t because I don’t agree with the card,” the Portuguese said. “Because Saucedo, I think is the name of the boy, he was really aggressive during all of the second-half.” Spanish midfielder Juan Mata was forced off the pitch after a Saucedo challenge and Italian defender Matteo Darmian was also injured during the match.
“Mata has a (swollen) ankle but I hope it is nothing important,” Mourinho told reporters.
“A few days, a week, probably. Darmian’s problem is not an important one.”
Meanwhile, Ivan Perisic hopes to be omitted from Inter Milan’s tour party as Manchester United scramble to wrap up a pounds 44 million deal for the unsettled Croatia winger.
United are expected to pay an initial pounds 39.5 million for Perisic with the fee rising to pounds 44 million with add-ons. Inter are close to signing Senegal forward Keita Balde from Lazio as a replacement for Perisic.
United manager Jose Mourinho wants Perisic in as soon as possible and also hopes to sign a defensive midfielder, with Chelsea’s Nemanja Matic a target. Tottenham have been playing hard ball over Eric Dier and Roma are reluctant to sell Radja Nainggolan. Perisic would become United’s third summer signing after Victor Lindelof and Lukaku and take their spending to almost pounds 165 million. Mourinho has hinted at continuing interest in Real Madrid striker, Alvaro Morata, and also mentioned the name of Arsenal forward, Alexis Sanchez, unprompted on Sunday. Although Wayne Rooney ended his 13-year stay at United when he re-signed for boyhood club Everton last week, an offer remains on the table for the England striker to become a United ambassador once he retires from playing. Woodward, who is close to Rooney, remains keen for that to happen, despite the 31-year-old’s return to Goodison.
