5 reasons why Romelu Lukaku was Jose Mourinho's inspired summer buy

There were some pretty significant transfers during the course of the summer, but as the dark nights draw in and the group stages of the UEFA Champions League decide which players actually justify their price tags, Manchester United can sit back with smug satisfaction in the knowledge that they have invested in the perfect package with the signing of Romelu Lukaku.

He may have cost the Old Trafford club the best part of £90 million, but manager Jose Mourinho would have had few concerns about spending his employers' cash on a striker who brings a wealth of experience that defies his years.

Incredibly still only 24, Lukaku has been playing top-flight football across Europe for almost a decade, and with 60 appearances for Belgium across two major finals he is already considered to be something of an international veteran.

But while the potential in Romelu Lukaku has never been in doubt, it is only since making his switch to Manchester United in the summer, that you appreciate how much he has been held back during his time at clubs like West Bromwich Albion and Everton.

Struggling to make an impact as a teenager at Chelsea, Lukaku found regular senior football at the Hawthorns, but made his biggest impact at Goodison Park.

He became the pivotal figure in Everton's attack, and rewarded both Roberto Martinez and Ronald Koeman with an impressive return of a goal almost every other game.

His progression to a bigger stage was inevitable once he voiced ambitions to play in the UEFA Champions League, and while Chelsea were keen on bringing him back to Stamford Bridge, it was the opportunity to be reunited with Mourinho that proved decisive in the end.

Lukaku has already gained a wealth of experience for club and country

His international experiences have not always been positive, and as the talented Belgian team of individuals were humbled by Wales at UEFA EURO 2016, there is no doubt that the young Lukaku has seen a lot in his still developing career.

Now reunited with Roberto Martinez following his appointment as Belgium's National team manager, it is the addition of Thierry Henry to the backroom staff that could prove the most beneficial to Lukaku, and he will find few better specialist teachers to educate him in the art of goalscoring.

Encouraged to join Old Trafford by good friend Paul Pogba, Lukaku eventually made his summer switch in July, and he has hit the ground running.

While he has previously been considered to be a stereotypical target man, either holding the ball up to bring others into play, or using his power and pace in a direct attack on goal, his integration into Mourinho's United team has shown that he had been unfairly pigeonholed all these years.

Here are 5 key elements to explain why he is this summer's best buy.

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#5 Experience that defies his age

Lukaku made a big impression as a powerful teenager at Anderlecht

The stats don't lie, and for nearly a decade, Romelu Lukaku has been causing problems for top-flight defences, despite only turning 24 earlier in May this year. The story began at Anderlecht back in 2009, and his goal ratio for club and country has been consistently impressive.

With over 250 senior club appearances to complement his 60 international caps, Lukaku has already scored over 100 senior career goals, and his future career figures are already set to be simply frightening.

But Lukaku has also experienced tougher times, and after making a big impression in the Belgian top-flight with Anderlecht, his move to Chelsea brought him back to reality, and it proved to be a frustrating experience.

He came through that period in his career with a maturity to not see a switch to West Bromwich Albion on-loan as a necessarily negative move, and while his career may have appeared to have taken a step backwards at the time, it has been pivotal in catapulting him forward to where he is today.

#4 The need to prove a point to Mourinho

Lukaku briefly played under Jose Mourinho at Chelsea

Jose Mourinho inherited Romelu Lukaku upon his second coming at Chelsea, but saw little of the striker as he headed for Everton on-loan ahead of a permanent switch after returning from West Brom.

Lukaku and Mourinho have enjoyed something of a colourful exchange of words in the press during the time of his departure, although the Belgian's youthful exuberance was often cut short by the sharp-witted and experienced tongue of the Portuguese mind-games master.

But, there was always a respect between the pair, and at present, a mutual appreciation and understanding of how each party can benefit from the other.

Compounded by the long-term injury to Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Mourinho was desperate to bring in a proven goalscorer ahead of Manchester United's return to the UEFA Champions League, and having since proven himself as a leading English Premier League striker, it was clear who would be near the top of Mourinho's wanted list.

#3 Pace, power and strength

Lukaku is an exceptional athlete and footballer

Make no mistake about it, Lukaku is a physical specimen, and it was his pace, power and strength that enabled him to make a huge impression in Belgium as a teenager. A natural athlete, Lukaku is a formidable opponent for any defender, and the experience gained has helped make him the complete striker ahead of his years.

He brings a different dynamic to this Manchester United side, but an effective one, and while some elements of his game remain raw in places, he is at the right place to improve.

It his robust approach that will serve Manchester United well in the UEFA Champions League this season.

Group stage opponents Basel struggled to contain him on Tuesday night, and while he has all the attributes of a powerful number nine, he also has the strength to play in a deeper position and bring others into play by holding the ball up under pressure.

His primary remit will be to score goals, but he also has the potential to be equally effective from a creative point of view.

#2 The perfect service

Lukaku has the support of a creative Manchester United midfield

While he will create opportunities for others, he will benefit from the creativeness that sits behind him in this Manchester United midfield.

With the likes of Juan Mata, Paul Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan in close proximity, Lukaku will not be short of service from central positions this season, while players such as Antonio Valencia, Ashley Young and Jesse Lingard will be amongst those supplying the crosses that players with Lukaku's physical build thrive upon.

And as he becomes more effective, the more Lukaku will become central to everything that Manchester United do in attack.

Mourinho is still experimenting and fine-tuning his team to get the very best out of it, and while the tools currently at his disposal are some of the best in the trade, the second half of the season will see the return of Ibrahimovic, with the Swedish star desperate to make up for lost time.

If he can combine effectively with Lukaku, this could be Manchester United's year of what is now overdue glory.

#1 Happiness and contentment

Romelu Lukaku and Paul Pogba connect on and off the field

The social media clips of Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku during the summer showed the pair to be so close, prior to his move to Manchester United, that there were calls for the club to be reported for making an illegal approach.

There is no doubt that Pogba and Lukaku are close friends, and their relationship is already proving to be the catalyst to the success of the team. Pogba initially struggled on his return to Old Trafford last season, and while it may have been expected in some quarters, he already looks a different player and person this year.

The reason for this change is that both players are happy. Far too much emphasis in the modern game is placed on stats, figures and percentages, and not enough appreciation is given to the human side of these young players that are expected to impress each and every time they take to the field.

Regardless of their wages and celebrity lifestyles, they have their own pressures to deal with, and keeping the person happy as much as the player is a key aspect in bringing the best out of them. Mourinho is no fool, and he knows that extracting the best from Romelu Lukaku could lead to a defining season for both him and his club.