Napoli Sign Chelsea’s Lukaku for £30m

Napoli have completed the signing of Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku from Chelsea for £30 million.

The move for Lukaku, 31, has been influenced by Napoli's manager Antonio Conte, who previously managed Lukaku during his successful two-year stint at Inter Milan from 2019 to 2021. Lukaku rejoined Chelsea in 2021 for £97.5 million but has been on loan in Italy for the past two seasons—first with Inter Milan and then with Roma.

During his time at Inter Milan, Lukaku scored 24 league goals and won Serie A under Conte in 2021. This performance prompted Chelsea to bring him back to Stamford Bridge. However, since May 2022, Lukaku has not featured for Chelsea. His departure allows Chelsea to remove his £325,000-a-week wages from their books.

In a pre-match news conference, Conte mentioned that Lukaku could make his Napoli debut in Saturday's game against Parma (19:45 BST).

Lukaku's exit follows the move of Chelsea midfielder Tino Anjorin, who has signed a three-year deal with Empoli in Serie A. Chelsea and Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli are also in discussions to acquire Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen, 25, which could help Napoli manage their expenditure.