Napoli have completed the signing of Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku from Chelsea in a £30 million deal.
The transfer comes as Napoli’s manager, Antonio Conte, who previously managed Lukaku during his successful stint at Inter Milan from 2019 to 2021, played a key role in the move.
Lukaku, 31, rejoined Chelsea in 2021 for a transfer fee of £97.5 million but has spent the last two seasons on loan in Italy, initially with Inter Milan and then with Roma. During his time at Inter Milan, Lukaku scored 24 league goals and contributed to their Serie A title win in 2021, which led Chelsea to acquire him.
Since May 2022, Lukaku has not featured for Chelsea, and his departure will remove his £325,000-a-week wages from their payroll. Conte indicated in a pre-match news conference that Lukaku could make his Napoli debut in their upcoming match against Parma on Saturday at 19:45 BST.
Lukaku’s exit from Chelsea coincides with Chelsea midfielder Tino Anjorin’s move to Serie A, joining Empoli on a three-year deal. Additionally, Chelsea and Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli are both in discussions to sign Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen, 25, which would help Napoli manage their expenditure.
