Romelu Lukaku is on the verge of completing a permanent transfer to Napoli from Chelsea, with the Italian club agreeing to pay a fee of around £30 million.
The deal, which includes a sell-on clause, is expected to be finalized soon.
Lukaku’s move to Napoli is seen as a reunion with manager Antonio Conte, under whom he enjoyed two prolific seasons at Inter Milan from 2019 to 2021.
During his time at Inter, Lukaku scored 64 goals in 95 appearances, helping the team win the Serie A title in the 2020-21 season.
However, Lukaku’s return to Chelsea in 2021 for a reported £97.5 million fee has been unsuccessful. He has spent the past two seasons on loan in Italy, first with Inter Milan and then with Roma, but has failed to make an impact upon his return to Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea is looking to offload players after making 11 signings this summer, swelling their senior squad to over 40 players.
The Blues are keen to trim their squad and reduce their wage bill, making Lukaku’s departure a priority.
The transfer may also lead to Victor Osimhen joining Chelsea on an initial loan deal. Napoli is willing to let Osimhen go if they can secure Lukaku’s services, and Chelsea is interested in bringing the Nigerian forward to Stamford Bridge.
However, the deal is still in its early stages, and negotiations are ongoing.
