Chelsea have completed the sale of former record signing Romelu Lukaku to Napoli, with the forward signing a three-year deal with the Italian side.
Lukaku has spent the last two seasons on loan in Serie A with Inter Milan and AS Roma, following a disastrous return to Chelsea. The Belgium international returned to Chelsea for a second spell in 2021 and cost a club-record £97.5m when arriving from Inter Milan.
He had scored 65 goals in 94 appearances for the Italian side, though struggled upon his return to the Premier League and was loaned back to Inter after just one season.
Lukaku reunites with Conte at Napoli
The 31-year-old has now completed a €30m (£25.2m) transfer to Napoli, where he reunites with Antonio Conte, having worked under the head coach during his prolific spell at Inter.
Lukaku also had interest from the Saudi Pro League but was keen to work under Conte for a second time. The two won the Serie A title together at the San Siro in 2020/21, with Lukaku scoring 24 league goals as the Nerazzurri won the Scudetto.
📸 Romelu Lukaku has completed his move to Napoli ✍️✅ pic.twitter.com/irSAs3oCwN
— LiveScore (@livescore) August 29, 2024
Who will Chelsea sign to replace Lukaku?
Chelsea remain interested in signing a centre-forward to replace Lukaku before the transfer deadline for Premier League clubs.
The Blues remain in negotiations with Napoli to sign Victor Osimhen, who is pushing for an exit. Napoli’s acquisition of Lukaku could pave the path for Chelsea to sign Osimhen, though the player’s wage demands have proven problematic in agreeing a deal to date.
Chelsea have made an enquiry to sign the Nigerian on a season-long loan deal with an obligation to make the move permanent. Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal are also interested in Osimhen and have submitted a superior offer, while a delegation had headed to Italy in an attempt to secure a deal. However, the player’s preference is a Premier League transfer.
When is the transfer deadline?
Premier League clubs can sign players up until Friday 30th August, 2024. The transfer window will close at 11pm BST.
