Napoli are closing in on a move for Romelu Lukaku after tabling an official bid for the Belgian attacker, who only wants to join them.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Napoli have tabled an official bid to sign Romelu Lukaku after progressing in talks with Chelsea for the striker. The Belgian has made it clear he only wants to join them, and talks are still ongoing to finalise the move, although any possible deal for Victor Osimhen will be a separate transaction.
Napoli are closing in on Romelu Lukaku’s move
Antonio Conte might have been in a furious mood after his Napoli side lost out to Hellas Verona with a 3-0 scoreline in their Serie A opener. He might lament the lack of attacking threat and could even attribute the same towards the ongoing saga involving star striker Victor Osimhen.
There’s a significant impasse between the two parties as Napoli is not willing to lower their asking price, while key suitors are not willing to pay his release clause or anywhere close to it. Conte had planned to replace the Nigerian with former Inter Milan and current Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku.
The big issue so far is their unwillingness to have both those strikers on their books for their enormous wages. Either way, Napoli is seemingly tired of waiting and playing the long game and is now closing in on signing Lukaku.
Talks with Chelsea have advanced over the last few days, and now Napoli have lodged an official bid for the striker. Lukaku has tremendous experience playing in Serie A, as he scored 21 goals for Roma while on loan from Chelsea. The details of the offer are still under wraps, but it might not be close to what the Blues want for the beleaguered striker.
Osimhen moves after Lukaku’s transfer
Napoli will now focus on completing the Lukaku deal before deciding the outcome of the Osimhen saga. They will still demand a huge fee, with Chelsea keen but different on valuation. Many reports have stated that the Osimhen-Lukaku deal might be a part exchange, although Fabrizio Romano insists that those will be separate, as Chelsea insists on the same.
Hence, Napoli would want to foolproof their idea of bringing in a starting striker even before selling Osimhen. Conte might be tired of the waiting game and will have urged the club to get its bearings in order and bring the former Inter Milan star to the club as soon as possible.
