Romelu Lukaku flirts with Antonio Conte

Romelu Lukaku has set the rumour mill a-spinning in an interview with Italy’s Sport Mediaset. Speaking after Belgium’s 3-0 win over Scotland in their Euro 2020 qualifying campaign, the Manchester United striker claimed that he has “always dreamed” of playing in the Italian top flight, and that newly-appointed Inter Milan coach Antonio Conte is “the best manager in the world”.

ESPN have the interview in full, but the choicest words are as follows:

“I was always a big fan of the Italian league. I have two leagues which I always dreamed about which are the English league and the Serie A. So for me the Serie A is my favourite league as well — I love Italy.

“With the transfer of [Cristiano] Ronaldo, I think the Italian league is now coming back. Antonio Conte going back to Inter Milan, which is really good because he is, to me, the best manager in the world.

“He [Conte] knows what I think about him. I’m not somebody who likes to talk about my personal relationships with managers, but you know, I’m a player of Manchester United and I have to respect my club. And if something happens, the teams and my agent have to do the talking. I have my decision and stay outside.”

This may well all just be Lukaku playing around with the media — the interview was, after all, with an Italian station. However, Ole Gunnar Solskjær may understandably take exception to Lukaku’s flirting, and having already dropped him for Marcus Rashford since taking charge, the Belgian could soon be on his way out of Old Trafford.