Napoli are in advanced talks with Chelsea to sign Romelu Lukau. The Belgian is only keen on playing under Antonio Conte.
According to Fabrizio Romano on Caught Offside, Napoli are very close to signing Romelu Lukaku from Chelsea, with talks advancing. The Belgian striker wants to join the Serie A club and reunite with his former Inter Milan manager, Antonio Conte, although his future might still be linked with that of Victor Osimhen.
Romelu Lukaku close to joining Napoli
When the transfer window opened, Napoli looked at multiple striker options as they were certain that one of the big clubs would come in and trigger Victor Osimhen’s release clause. The Nigerian is still in Naples, and none of the interested suitors are eager to pay his reported €130 million release clause.
Osimhen draws a massive €11 million-a-year net salary, which puts Napoli in a precarious position, as they will only sign a new striker as a replacement. They have since chased wantaway Chelsea man Romelu Lukaku, who will not be part of the squad at Stamford Bridge.
Fabrizio Romano states that Romelu Lukaku already has an agreement with Napoli over salary and a three-year contract. The Serie A club’s director, Giovanni Manna, has been in London to hash out a deal for the Belgian, who scored 21 goals for AS Roma last season, and talk with Chelsea about Osimhen.
There were reports that Napoli were ready to walk away from the Lukaku pursuit if there were huge differences in the striker’s valuations. However, as Romano insist, the Belgian’s deal is getting closer with each passing day, and an agreement might be imminent for the forward who scored 21 goals last season in Serie A.
Lukaku’s future linked with Osimhen’s
Chelsea have expressed their interest in Osimhen and after their deal for Samu Omorodion collapsed, they are more than keen on signing a new striker. The two clubs are still apart in their valuations for the Nigerian, as this deal may drag into the final days of the window.
Chelsea have yet to present an offer, and judging by Romano’s comments, Osimhen is not eager to go out on loan or reduce his current salary. Moreover, Napoli cannot afford to have the Nigerian and Lukaku together in the squad for financial reasons, meaning the two clubs might have to agree on a deal at some point for both forwards.
