Romelu Lukaku has revealed he will take on the No.9 shirt at Manchester United.
The striker completed a £75million move to Old Trafford on Monday and is set to be the leading attacker at United.
Lukaku has a formidable strike rate in the Premier League, but he admitted he needed to ask permission from one Red Devil if he could take on the No.9 shirt.
‘I always asked my mother what number, and I used to play with the ten because my mother’s birthday is on October 10, so it’s the tenth month of the year,’ he told ESPN.
‘That’s why I played with No. 10. I asked for the number nine because I’m a striker.
‘Strikers play with No. 9. It’s a nice number, and I asked the permission of Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
‘I want to thank him, as well, for allowing me to wear that number.’
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is no longer a United player after suffering a serious knee injury, but reports claim the Swede wants to return to Old Trafford when his recovery is complete.
Jose Mourinho has been searching for a new goalscorer for months after it became clear Ibrahimovic would be out long-term.
The veteran striker carried almost the entirety of the goalscoring responsibility on his shoulders last season and Mourinho’s main aim this summer was to add goals to his side.
The addition of Lukaku should provide those strikes with the Belgian competing for the Premier League’s Golden Boot for most of his time at Everton.
Lukaku wore the No.10 at Everton and scored 87 goals in 166 appearances for the Toffees.
United may pay as much as £90m for Lukaku with add-ons potentially raising the transfer fee.
The 24-year-old has praised the influence of Mourinho and Paul Pogba in convincing him to join ‘the biggest club in the world’.
Lukaku has taken part in his first training session as a United player with him and Pogba linking up with the rest of the squad in Los Angeles.
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