Romelu Lukaku has explained how Manchester United’s determination to bring him to Old Trafford convinced him to sidestep a return to Chelsea in 2017.

The Belgium international departed Old Trafford this summer to team up with former Chelsea boss Antonio Conte at Inter Milan, after two years with the Red Devils.

Speaking to the LightHarted podcast, the striker revealed just how close he came to rejoining Chelsea from Everton before a call from Jose Mourinho helped convince him to sign for United.

‘I was gone, I was going to Chelsea,’ he said.

‘I was looking for an apartment, a house for my mum to stay in close to the practice facility, so I don’t have to drive too far. And then Manchester United came.

‘At Man United with everybody I felt the trust more, that everybody wanted me to be there and that’s the true story.

‘People say, “Yeah, my agent” and stuff like that – my former agent at the time [Mino Raiola] – he did his job, he got the best opportunity for me with the people who 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 by next week, so I expect you in LA. So go and do your shit 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 July 6 and 7, I wake up in the morning and I see they’ve agreed the deal, so I’m like, “Man! They came in hard!”‘