Napoli’ executives will be on their way to London in the next 24 hours to wrap up the deal Chelsea and complete the the signing of Romelu Lukaku. The 31-year-old forward has not played for Chelsea in over two years and does not fit into Enzo Maresca’s plans as well for the future. He might go back to Serie A for the third year in a row after previous loan stints at Inter Milan and Roma.
Napoli’s Executives to Fly to London
Napoli made an official offer on Monday, which Chelsea did not accept. However, according to Football Italia, Fabrizio Romano has mentioned on X that more talks are planned as both teams are eager to make the deal happen. On Wednesday, Romano shared that everyone involved thinks Lukaku will end up at Napoli, but they still need to work out some final details.
Lukaku’s contract at Stamford Bridge runs for two more years. Chelsea want to get paid close to his £36 million release clause. The latest offer from the Italian club might be enough to seal the deal, i.e., a loan with an option to buy at the end of the season for a total of €30m (€25m plus €5m in add-ons). This at least ensures that the Blues will atleast get some money back from the mammoth €113m that they gave Inter in the summer of 2021 to sign Lukaku.
If Lukaku moves to Napoli, he would see himself play under Antonio Conte again. They won the Serie A together at Inter in 2020-21, before Lukaku’s big money move to Chelsea. His time at Stamford Bridge has not gone well at all, leading Chelsea to loan him out for the past two seasons. The questions surrounding Lukaku’s next move show the issues Chelsea are dealing with.
Conte seems upset with how things are going, as he expressed his unhappiness with Chelsea thinking that the £26 million bid “is not enough.” The Italian has helped Lukaku play at his best before and wants to close a deal for the Belgian striker, after a rough start at Napoli, who were beaten 3-0 by Verona on Sunday.
Chelsea Could Address Osimhen Deal as well
In the middle of all this uncertainty, Victor Osimhen’s name keeps popping up at Stamford Bridge. The Nigerian striker has become one of the most sought-after players in Europe, and Chelsea want him. But Chelsea can only get Osimhen if they sell some players and raise enough money. Napoli know Chelsea do not have enough money for Osimhen, and therefore are in control of the situation.
Napoli want to find an answer for Victor Osimhen saga soon as possible, as he also didn’t feature in their first game of the season. There might also be talks about his future at the meeting, but this would be separate from the Lukaku deal.
Osimhen has a great track record, with 76 goals in 133 games for Napoli in four years since he joined the club. Chelsea legend, John Obi Mikel, has been trying to persuade his compatriot into signing with the Blues. However, a Nigerian prophet, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has cautioned the 25-year-old against moving to the English club, saying it could ‘ruin his career’.
Right now, Chelsea fans can only imagine the signing of Osimhen. Getting such a high-scoring forward would surely boost spirits at the club, but that is still far from happening. Chelsea’s sporting directors, Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart, need to clear out unwanted players before they can think about bringing in Osimhen.
Chelsea Could Benefit from the Osimhen Deal
For Chelsea, the Lukaku situation is a headache. Watching a big-money player exit for pennies on the dollar leaves a bad taste in fans’ mouths. Still, if that is what it takes to bring in a top-notch striker like Victor Osimhen, many supporters would see it as worth the cost. Osimhen wouldn’t just boost the team’s scoring power but also show that Chelsea mean business at the highest level again.
A big-name addition like Osimhen could make or break the season. While things look shaky right now, there is a chance Chelsea can come out stronger after this clearance sale wraps up.
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