The former Everton striker has spoken out on his distrust of agents, highlighting two deals involving Everton
Everton's Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku celebrates after scoring their third goal during the English Premier League football match between Everton and Hull City at Goodison Park in Liverpool, north west England on March 18, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / Paul ELLIS / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo credit should read PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
Everton's Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku celebrates scoring against Hull City at Goodison Park in March 2017
(Image: PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
Romelu Lukaku has revealed how two transfers involving him and Everton led to a distrust of agents. The striker is currently playing for Napoli in Serie A.
Lukaku initially joined the Blues on loan for the 2013-14 season, scoring 13 goals in the top flight. He signed permanently from Chelsea at the end of the campaign and enjoyed three more successful seasons with the club, leaving to join Manchester United in 2017 as Everton's highest Premier League goalscorer.
The striker has been represented by various agencies throughout his career, most notably the late Mino Raiola. Christophe Henrotay and Federico Pastorello have been his agents too, although at the moment he does not have one.
Speaking to Het Nieuwsblad (h/t Sport Witness), Lukaku lifted the lid on his permanent move to Everton and how it came about, as well as some of the curiosities that he allegedly found in his contract with the club.
"It actually started in 2014," Lukaku said. "I signed with Everton at the time, but I could also go to Juventus, Wolfsburg and Atletico. That didn't happen.
"I ended up at Everton, no problem, but when I saw certain figures in my contract, I thought: something’s not right here. I started digging and then everything came out. A year later, (Kevin) De Bruyne moved to Manchester City and also started discovering everything. And then everything came out in the media."
As relayed by Sport Witness, Henrotay represented Lukaku at that time. Henrotay was investigated for financial irregularities as part of Belgium's Operation Clean Hands.
Lukaku left Everton to join Man United in 2017. At the time he was also strongly linked with a return to Chelsea and reflecting on his exit, he revealed that he was ultimately influenced by his then agent Raiola to head to Old Trafford. Jose Mourinho was in charge of the Red Devils at that stage.
"I had already told everyone: I'm going to Chelsea," he said. "But suddenly Mourinho called me to say that Manchester United had made an offer. I came back from vacation and suddenly there was an agreement with Everton.
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"I said to Mino: 'I don't want this', and then I decided now I'm doing everything myself."
Lukaku would eventually get his move back to Chelsea. After leaving Man United to join Inter Milan in 2019, he moved to the Stamford Bridge outfit in what was reported to be a club record £97.5 illion transfer.
However, he struggled to make an impact on his return and was loaned back to Inter and then to Roma. After joining Napoli on a permanent deal last summer, Lukaku netted 14 goals to help the Partenopei win the Serie A title.