Napoli are nearing an agreement to sign Romelu Lukaku from Chelsea following progress in negotiations. The Belgium striker, aged 31, is set to join the Italian club for approximately £30 million on a permanent transfer, which will include a sell-on clause.
There is a possibility that this transfer might result in Victor Osimhen moving to Chelsea, with the latter preferring an initial loan arrangement for the Nigerian forward.
Napoli’s pursuit of Lukaku is led by manager Antonio Conte, under whom the striker had two successful seasons at Inter Milan from 2019 to 2021. Lukaku returned to Chelsea in 2021 for £97.5 million but has been on loan in Italy for the past two seasons, first at Inter Milan and then at Roma.
Lukaku’s second stint at Chelsea did not yield the desired results, and he has not featured for the Blues since May 2022.
Chelsea are aiming to offload players as their senior squad has expanded to over 40 members following 11 new signings this summer.
