This archive report was first published on 29 July 2019.
Manchester United's pre-season friendly against Kristiansund on Tuesday has taken an interesting turn with the absence of striker Romelu Lukaku. The 26-year-old Belgium international has been a subject of transfer speculation, with Inter Milan reportedly making a £54 million bid for his services.
According to reports, United have rejected the bid, but Lukaku's future at the club remains uncertain. The striker has been sidelined by injury for all four of United's pre-season games during their tour of Australia, Singapore, and China.
On Sunday, Lukaku posted a cryptic message on his social media accounts, accompanied by a picture of him and his agent Federico Pastorello, which read: "soon to be continued." The message has sparked further speculation about his potential move to Inter Milan.
Lukaku has been keen to join Inter after a difficult spell at United since his £75 million move from Everton in 2017. With Inter believed to have been given an imminent deadline by United to conclude the deal, Lukaku was absent from his club's 26-man travelling party to Norway.
United announced the squad on their official website on Monday ahead of the match at Oslo's Ullevaal Stadium. Meanwhile, defender Eric Bailly is not part of the group heading to Norway after sustaining a knee injury in the victory over Tottenham.
United will wrap up their pre-season against AC Milan in Cardiff on Saturday.
