Napoli Secures Romelu Lukaku in £30m Transfer from Chelsea

Napoli has successfully signed Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku from Chelsea in a £30 million deal. The move, heavily influenced by Napoli’s manager Antonio Conte, reunites Lukaku with the coach under whom he thrived during his time at Inter Milan from 2019 to 2021.

Lukaku, now 31, rejoined Chelsea in 2021 for a significant £97.5 million fee after a stellar season with Inter, where he netted 24 league goals and helped the club clinch the Serie A title. Despite this, his return to Stamford Bridge didn’t go as planned, and he spent the last two seasons on loan in Italy, first returning to Inter and then moving to Roma.

This transfer relieves Chelsea of Lukaku’s hefty £325,000-a-week wages, freeing up financial resources for the club. Lukaku, who hasn’t played for Chelsea since May 2022, could make his debut for Napoli as early as this Saturday in their match against Parma.

In addition to Lukaku’s move, Chelsea midfielder Tino Anjorin has also secured a transfer to Italy, joining Serie A side Empoli on a three-year deal. Meanwhile, Chelsea and Al-Ahli from the Saudi Pro League are both in discussions to sign Napoli’s Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen, 25, which could help offset the club’s recent expenditures.