Romelu Lukaku thanks Everton fans ahead of £75m United move

The Belgian striker netted 87 goals in 124 appearances for Everton after initially joining on loan in September 2013 before making the move permanent for a club-record £28m the following summer.

Everton striker Romelu Lukaku salutes fans at Goodison Park.

Romelu Lukaku has belatedly thanked Everton supporters as the striker puts the finishing touches on his proposed move to Manchester United that will bring an end to his four years at Goodison Park.

The Belgian striker is set to join United after the two clubs agreed a £75 million (Dh355m) transfer on Saturday, plus further add-ons should certain targets bet met.

Lukaku netted 87 goals in 124 appearances for Everton after initially joining on loan in September 2013 before making the move permanent for a club-record £28m the following summer. He netted 25 Premier League goals last term to help Everton finish seventh, one place below Jose Mourinho's United side.

And while Lukaku, 24, was quick to lavish praise on his prospective new employers, telling ESPN he "didn't have to think twice" about joining once United had registered an interest, he had, until Monday, failed to express the same gratitude to the club for helping him become one of the most sought-after strikers in world football.

"I want to say a big thank you to all the people involved at Everton," Lukaku wrote in an Instagram post

"I want to thank the fans for their support throughout the four years we've spent together.

"You guys helped me through all my games and I can proudly say it was an honour to play in front of you. To the staff at the stadium and the training ground, thank you for making me feel at home from the first day I walked in.

"To my teammates it was great to play with you guys. To the technical staff, thank you for helping me to become a better player.

"Working with you guys has been a pleasure and I'll take your advice throughout the rest of my career. Thank you Everton Football Club."

Lukaku is set to link up with United on their pre-season tour of North America having passed a medical in Los Angeles over the weekend. Their first game is against Major League Soccer team LA Galaxy next Saturday.

The former Anderlecht and Chelsea player was arrested in southern California on Saturday and issued a citation after failing to heed noise warnings, Beverly Hills police said.

The arrest was made on July 2 at about 8pm local time after police responded to noise complaints at the Beverly Hills home that Lukaku, who was on holiday with soon-to-be teammate Paul Pogba.