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What's the story?
Manchester United have been pitted alongside Juventus, Young Boys and Valencia in Group H of the UEFA Champions League. After 2 rounds of matches in the group stages, the Red Devils sit 2nd on the table, behind Serie A giants, Juventus.
9 days from now, on the 23rd of October, United host Juventus at Old Trafford for their encounter in Matchday 3 of the tournament. Ahead of the anticipated fixture, Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku interacted with some Italian journalists from La Gazzetta dello Sport, and admitted that he hopes to play in the Serie A one day - the league where his brother also plays (for Lazio).
He also heaped praise on United's soon-to-be opponents, Juventus, sparking rumours that his heart lies elsewhere.
In case you didn't know...
Romelu Lukaku completed a £75million transfer from Everton to Manchester United last summer, and has already scored 31 goals across all competitions for the Red Devils. However, as a result of his woeful inconsistency, United's fans remain sceptical about the Belgian striker.
The heart of the matter
According to reports from La Gazzetta dello Sport (via talkSPORT), when asked if he would be willing to make a move to Serie A at any point in his career, Lukaku replied by saying "Why not? I hope so."
Speaking about the game against Juventus later this month, where Cristiano Ronaldo will return to Old Trafford, Lukaku heaped praise on the Serie A champions:
"Juve have a great project in place and they just keep going. Every year they try to get stronger.”
“Without doubt, Juve are one of the two-three best teams in Europe. They’ve got a great coach on the bench and extraordinary players in every area of the team.
He also named 3 players that he believes will be a major threat to United when the two sides face off:
"Cristiano Ronaldo stands out but watch out for the others too. Paulo Dybala is already impressive and getting stronger, while I love Douglas Costa. He's an exceptional signing and his career shows he always makes the difference.
Lukaku finished off by acknowledging the quality in the group and also voiced his optimism and hope for United to succeed.
“It’s a tough group, but obviously Manchester United want to finish on top.”
Video: Lukaku can certainly strike a ball
What's next?
With Juventus leading the table with 6 points in 2 games, and Manchester United close behind with 4 points from 2 games, all eyes will be on this particular fixture later this month. The winner would undoubtedly have a better chance of finishing atop the table and both sides will be expected to throw in the kitchen sink.
