Sports

Transfer: Romelu Lukaku Joins Napoli From Chelsea

Published

4 months ago

Aug 29, 2024.

Dennis

Napoli have signed Romelu Lukaku from Chelsea, the Serie A club announced on Thursday, ending the Belgium striker’s prolonged period of uncertainty with the Blues.

Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis confirmed the transfer, reportedly worth 30 million euros ($33.2 million), on social media with a “Welcome Romelu” post featuring a photo of Lukaku signing his three-year contract.

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Lukaku’s move to Napoli keeps him in Italy, marking his third club in as many years following loan spells at Inter Milan and Roma.

The 31-year-old was a key figure in Inter’s Serie A title win in 2021 under Antonio Conte, who is now Napoli’s coach. Lukaku was sold to Chelsea that summer for over 100 million euros, but his return to Stamford Bridge was disappointing.

He struggled during his loan back at Inter for the 2022/23 season, plagued by injuries and competition from Edin Dzeko. Efforts to secure a permanent move to Inter fell through due to Lukaku’s interest in rival clubs AC Milan and Juventus.

As a result, he and Chelsea agreed to another loan deal with Roma, but Roma did not pursue a permanent transfer, leading Lukaku to Napoli.

Conte, now at Napoli, is set to include Lukaku in the squad for Saturday’s home match against Parma, provided he is physically fit.

Napoli are looking to recover from a poor league title defense last season, which saw them finish 10th after changing managers three times. Lukaku is part of their rebuilding efforts and is seen as a replacement for Victor Osimhen, who is reportedly considering a move to Saudi Arabia as no European club has met Napoli’s asking price.

Napoli currently sit 11th in Serie A, with a crushing defeat at Verona and a convincing win over Bologna in their opening matches of the new season.

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