Chelsea outcast Romelu Lukaku is all set to reunite with Antonio Conte at Napoli in a deal worth up to €45 million.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Romelu Lukaku is all set to join Napoli on a three-year deal as the Serie A giants have verbally agreed terms with Chelsea. The West London club were desperate to get the Belgian international off their books and as things stand, they will raise significant funds from his departure.
Lukaku has had a lot of success under Antonio Conte in the past. He has played a total of 95 games under the Italian boss and has found the back of the net on 64 occasions. The Belgian ace even helped Conte clinch the Serie A title during their days at Inter Milan.
Antonio Conte’s desire to reunite with Lukaku
After parting ways with Tottenham at the start of 2023, Conte took charge of Napoli ahead of the 2024/25 season. With Victor Osimhen expected to be on the move, the Italian boss wanted to bring in an ideal replacement. He wanted to reunite with Lukaku and the Partenopei have been working on a potential transfer for some time.
They had already held talks with the 31-year-old Chelsea striker, and he is eager to once again play under Conte. While he had given his green light to the move, Lukaku has been waiting for Napoli to launch the offensive. But, they wanted to get the future of Osimhen sorted before signing the Belgian.
While Napoli have yet to figure out the next club for the Nigerian international, Conte does not intend to play the waiting game anymore. He wants Lukaku in his squad as soon as possible, and the Serie A giants are pushing hard to make it happen.
Chelsea agree a deal with Napoli to sell Lukaku
Napoli have been in talks with the Blues and have reached a verbal agreement with them. Chelsea have agreed to sell the former Inter Milan striker in a deal that could see them raise up to €45 million. They will receive a fixed fee of €30 million along with add-ons worth up to €15 million. The Ali Barat for Epic Sports have brokered the deal which will see Lukaku sign a deal until 2027.
Given what Chelsea forked out to re-sign the 31-year-old from Inter Milan back in the summer of 2021, they have only managed to recover a part of it. But, they will be glad to see the Belgian leaving as he is on massive wages at the West London club and has been out of their plans for the last two seasons.
