At Manchester United, we made a bet: 'I'll give you £50 for every decent first touch you make'
Zlatan Ibrahimovic on Romelu Lukaku
“I will say this on Romelu,” Ibrahimovic said in an interview with Gazzetta Dello Sport. “Don't expect good technique from Lukaku. His best strength is sheer power – if only he'd listened to me.
“At Manchester United, we made a bet: 'I'll give you £50 for every decent first touch you make'.
“He replied: 'What do I win if I get them all right?' I told him nothing, he would simply become a better player. For the record, he never accepted the bet! Perhaps he was afraid of losing.”
Ibrahimovic may not rate Lukaku’s first touch, but he has immense respect for his work rate and desire to prove he’s one of the best strikers on the planet.
Romelu Lukaku and Zlatan Ibrahimovic look on during a training session at Carrington (Image: GETTY)
Romelu Lukaku's first touch was often criticised by Manchester United fans (Image: GETTY)
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Zlatan Ibrahimovic claims Romelu Lukaku turned down a bet to improve his first touch (Image: GETTY)
Zlatan Ibrahimovic: If Manchester United needs me I'm here
“Joking aside, Lukaku has this mad hunger to prove himself to the world,” he said. “And I'm sure he will do well at Inter too.”
Lukaku swapped Old Trafford for the San Siro in August, with Inter splashing out £74million to acquire his services.
The Belgium international has enjoyed a solid start to life in Italy, scoring three goals in eight appearances for Antonio Conte’s side.
Lukaku and his Inter team-mates will be back in action on Sunday morning, travelling to the Citta del Tricolore to take on Sassuolo.