Napoli are ramping up their efforts to sign Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku before the transfer window closes. Lukaku can exit Chelsea for £38 million thanks to a contract clause. He is looking for a fresh start after being on loan at Inter Milan and AS Roma in the last two years. The prospect of reuniting with his former manager, Antonio Conte, who took over at Napoli, appeals to him.
Napoli Bid Falls Short of Chelsea’s Valuation
Giovanni Manna, Napoli’s sporting director, is in London to negotiate for Romelu Lukaku. He has made an offer to Chelsea of about £25.6 million for the Belgian forward. This amount falls short of Chelsea’s asking price, but Napoli aims to reach a deal. They’ve even proposed including Victor Osimhen in the transaction valuing him around £90 million. However, Chelsea wants a straight cash deal close to the £38 million clause to sell Lukaku and remove his £325,000 weekly wages from their books.
Rumours suggest Lukaku has made a deal to join Napoli accepting less pay for a three-year contract with the Serie A champions. Chelsea considered loaning out Lukaku, but now they’re willing to sell him outright. This creates an opportunity for a player exchange or a loan with a mandatory purchase clause. This transfer tale is likely to reach its climax in the final days of the window, as all parties aim to reach an agreement.
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Chelsea Striker Agrees Personal Terms with Napoli
Romelu Lukaku has agreed to personal terms with Napoli opening the door to a possible move this summer. Transfer expert Gianluca Di Marzio says the Belgian striker wants to team up with Antonio Conte at Napoli promising the new manager he’s ready to join.
But the deal hinges on Napoli’s ability to sell Victor Osimhen. Despite Osimhen’s good performance, no team is willing to pay the €130 million release clause in his contract. As a result, Napoli might reduce his price to attract more buyers. Once Osimhen departs, Napoli can start working on bringing Lukaku over from Chelsea.
Lukaku and Conte have worked well together before at Inter Milan where they won the 2021 Scudetto. Conte has always liked Lukaku trying to sign him when he coached Juventus and Chelsea. Even though Lukaku struggled when he returned to Chelsea facing public criticism and disagreements with former manager Thomas Tuchel, Conte still trusts in the striker’s abilities.
Chelsea aim to sell Lukaku, whom they purchased from Inter in 2021 for a record €115 million. He struggled in his first year back at Stamford Bridge resulting in loans to Inter and Roma for the following two years. Chelsea now demand over €40 million for Lukaku, a price Serie A teams consider excessive. Napoli will likely try to lower this price given Lukaku’s poor performance. He failed to score for Belgium at Euro 2024, where France eliminated them in the round of 16. In a nutshell, Napoli are making a strong effort to sign him from Chelsea. Lukaku is eager to transfer, and they’ve settled on his contract terms. The major hurdle now is selling Osimhen.
With the transfer window closing soon, the coming days will determine if Napoli can secure their desired striker and reunite him with Antonio Conte. The success of this deal hinges not on financial negotiations but also on the movement of players among the teams involved.
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