Romelu Lukaku has revealed how a personal intervention from Jose Mourinho stopped him joining Chelsea in 2017.

The 26-year-old was close to a move to Stamford Bridge – although the Blues were reluctant to pay Mino Raiola’s reported £12million agent fee – but Manchester United hijacked the move at the 11th hour.

Lukaku’s time at Old Trafford was largely disappointing and this summer he joined Inter Milan, creating a distance which allowed him to reflect on the circumstances around his switch to United two years ago.

“I was gone, I was going to Chelsea," Lukaku said on the LightHarted podcast. "I was looking for an apartment, an apartment for my mum to stay in close to the practice facility, so I don't have to drive too far. And then Man U came.

"At Man U everybody was... I felt the trust more, where everybody wanted me to be there and that's the true story. People say 'Yeah, my agent (Mino Raiola)' and stuff like that - my former agent at the time - he did his job, he got the best opportunity for me, but the people wanted me the most and that was Man U. Everybody was wanting me. There was no doubting.

"They came and they told me - I was in New York - I get a phone call from this number and I'm like, 'Who's this?' Pick up, Jose Mourinho. 'Rom, how are you doing?' I'm like, 'Yeah, what's up, boss?'

"'I'm gonna get you back, we're gonna pay £75m plus £15m in bonuses (add-ons) by next week, so I expect you in LA. So go and do your s*** in LA and I'll see you after [in pre-season]'. I felt the dude was lying, like 'I'll see you'.

"Then the next thing I know, I wake up and had to go back to Everton on the July 7 and July 6, I wake up in the morning and I see they've agreed the deal, so I'm like, 'Man! They came in hard!'”

In Pictures | Man Utd's 10 most expensive signings 11 show all In Pictures | Man Utd's 10 most expensive signings 1/11 Manchester United could break their transfer record again this summer.



But who is the current club record signing? Scroll through for the top 10... Getty Images 2/11 10 Name: Victor Lindelof

From: Benfica

Fee: £31m Getty Images 3/11 9 Name: Juan Mata

From: Chelsea

Fee: £37m Manchester United via Getty Imag 4/11 8 Name: Nemanja Matic

From: Chelsea

Fee: £40m Manchester United via Getty Imag 5/11 7 Name: Anthony Martial

From: AS Monaco

Fee: £44.6m



*fee rose from £36m after clause was triggered in October 2018 Manchester United via Getty Imag 6/11 6 Name: Aaron Wan-Bissaka

From: Crystal Palace



Fee: £50m Manchester United via Getty Imag 7/11 5 Name: Fred

From: Shakhtar Donetsk

Fee: £52m Manchester United via Getty Imag 8/11 4 Name: Angel di Maria

From: Real Madrid

Fee: £59.7m AFP/Getty Images 9/11 3 Name: Romelu Lukaku

From: Everton

Fee: £75m Getty Images 10/11 2 Name: Harry Maguire

From: Leicester City

Fee: £80m Getty Images 11/11 1 Name: Paul Pogba

From: Juventus

Fee: £89m Manchester United via Getty Imag 1/11 Manchester United could break their transfer record again this summer.



But who is the current club record signing? Scroll through for the top 10... Getty Images 2/11 10 Name: Victor Lindelof

From: Benfica

Fee: £31m Getty Images 3/11 9 Name: Juan Mata

From: Chelsea

Fee: £37m Manchester United via Getty Imag 4/11 8 Name: Nemanja Matic

From: Chelsea

Fee: £40m Manchester United via Getty Imag 5/11 7 Name: Anthony Martial

From: AS Monaco

Fee: £44.6m



*fee rose from £36m after clause was triggered in October 2018 Manchester United via Getty Imag 6/11 6 Name: Aaron Wan-Bissaka

From: Crystal Palace



Fee: £50m Manchester United via Getty Imag 7/11 5 Name: Fred

From: Shakhtar Donetsk

Fee: £52m Manchester United via Getty Imag 8/11 4 Name: Angel di Maria

From: Real Madrid

Fee: £59.7m AFP/Getty Images 9/11 3 Name: Romelu Lukaku

From: Everton

Fee: £75m Getty Images 10/11 2 Name: Harry Maguire

From: Leicester City

Fee: £80m Getty Images 11/11 1 Name: Paul Pogba

From: Juventus

Fee: £89m Manchester United via Getty Imag

Lukaku did not always enjoy the best relationship with Mourinho, however. When the pair were at Chelsea, Mourinho loaned out the striker for the 2013-14 season despite a prolific campaign the previous year at West Brom.

Lukaku was furious at the time and later confronted Mourinho about the decision upon reunited with the Portuguese at United.

“When [I was at United], I remember we were in Moscow two years ago, we played CSKA, I told him, “Yo man, I wanted to kill your arse so bad” and we laughed about it,” added Lukaku.

“Me and Jose our relationship is… everybody has their own personal relationship with him, but me and him we bump heads.

“We bump heads, but I love him as a man. I think he loves me as a man, but we bump heads all the time. All the time. He might be picking on me, but then I’ll be picking on him. But he’s my guy, for sure, he’s my guy.”