Manchester City tried to sign Lukaku in 2020, claims Chelsea striker’s agent

Manchester City tried to sign Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku in 2020, his agent Federico Pastorello has revealed.

The current Premier League champions were engaged in a very high-profile pursuit of Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane last summer, which ultimately ended unsuccessfully, but it may not have been necessary had City managed to sign Lukaku a year earlier.

Pastorello was speaking about the Belgian’s move to Chelsea, which was completed in August and explained that Pep Guardiola tried to lure him to the Etihad in the summer of 2020, after Lukaku had just enjoyed his first season with Inter Milan.

“I think I can say without disappointing anybody that Manchester City came in the year before,” his agent told The Telegraph.

“During the pandemic, it was very complicated because of trying to fly to places to meet people. It started very concrete and very serious, but eventually they changed their idea or they were not ready to make it happen.

“Honestly, it was very difficult after the first year [at Inter] - it was almost impossible. He hadn’t won the league with Inter and he wanted to do that, and it would have been really impossible. Then they [City] focused on Harry Kane this summer.”

Lukaku, of course, moved to the San Siro from Manchester United, where he spent two seasons and scored 42 goals, but was sold by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in 2019.

Since moving to Chelsea, Lukaku has netted four in 11 appearances in all competitions, although he hasn’t scored in his last seven games. Belgium’s record scorer is unavailable for selection at present due to injury, and is a doubt for the meeting with United at Stamford Bridge on 28 November.