Former Manchester United forward Romelu Lukaku has lifted the lid on the reason behind his decision to reject a move to Saudi Arabia.
Lukaku is currently plying his trade at Roma on a season-long loan from Chelsea following a turbulent time at Stamford Bridge.
Before leaving London in the summer, the Belgian goalscorer was heavily linked with a move to Saudi Arabia as multiple clubs expressed their interest in a potential deal.
However, the 30-year-old ultimately chose to join Jose Mourinho’s Roma as he reunited with the Portuguese manager in Italy.
Just months after his move, Lukaku has now revealed that he refused an offer from Al-Hilal as he prioritised his stay in European football.
“Most people in this room know me. You know that I don’t like to beat around the bush,” Lukaku said in his press conference.
“I don’t like to talk too much off the field, but sometimes it’s good to tell people what really happened and what didn’t.
“I will one day, but not now because I want to keep the focus on my football. When I say things, they are taken out of context and I don’t want that right now.
“I was honoured by their [Al-Hilal] interest, but after the conversations we had, I was not completely convinced.
“Al-Hilal is the biggest club in the Middle East and the Saudi Pro League will be one of the biggest in the world but I wasn’t ready to leave Europe.
“I knew full well what was going to happen this summer and there were a few clubs I certainly would not go to.
“Ultimately, you have to consider what happened in recent years on a football and personal level, which is why I made my choice,” he added.