Napoli Nearing £30m Deal for Chelsea Striker Romelu Lukaku

Napoli is on the verge of securing a deal to sign Romelu Lukaku from Chelsea, with negotiations reaching a significant breakthrough. The 31-year-old Belgium striker is expected to join the Italian club for a fee of around £30 million on a permanent deal, which will also include a sell-on clause.

There is a possibility that this transfer could influence Victor Osimhen’s future, with Chelsea showing interest in a potential initial loan deal for the Nigerian forward as part of the negotiations.

Napoli’s pursuit of Lukaku has been largely driven by their manager, Antonio Conte, who previously worked with Lukaku during two highly successful seasons at Inter Milan between 2019 and 2021. During that time, Lukaku became one of Europe’s most prolific strikers.

Lukaku rejoined Chelsea in 2021 for a then-club-record fee of £97.5 million but struggled to replicate his form in the Premier League. After an underwhelming return to Stamford Bridge, he spent the last two seasons on loan in Italy, first returning to Inter Milan and then moving to Roma. He has not featured for Chelsea since May 2022.

Chelsea, aiming to reduce the size of their senior squad—which has grown to over 40 players following 11 signings this summer—sees the sale of Lukaku as part of their ongoing efforts to streamline the team.