Antonio Conte to sign Chelsea flop after Napoli unveiling

Tom Weber

Updated: 5 Jun 2024 15:52 BST
4 min read

Napoli will now step up their pursuit of Romelu Lukaku following Antonio Conte's appointment as new head coach, according to a report.

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The former Chelsea boss has found a new job a year after leaving Tottenham. Conte is officially the new head coach of 2023 Serie A champions Napoli and he faces a big summer ahead of attempting to improve upon a pitiful title defence.

The Naples outfit is coming off a tenth-place finish in Serie A and are facing the loss of star striker Victor Osimhen, who is still set to depart this summer despite the fact that the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea don't appear as keen on him as they seemed not long ago.

The Nigerian's €130 million price and injury history have reportedly led to Chelsea cooling their interest, instead targeting the likes of Artem Dovbyk, as revealed by FootballTransfers, and Benjamin Sesko.

As for Conte, he has resigned himself to the fact that Osimhen is leaving and he already knows who ought to replace him.

Napoli step up Lukaku chase

Ever since the Italian tactician emerged as a concrete target for Napoli, rumours began abounding that Romelu Lukaku could be on his way to Naples.

The Belgian enjoyed an eminently successful time under Conte at Inter, which eventually prompted Chelsea to re-sign him for €113m. At Stamford Bridge, however, the 31-year-old never managed to feel at home.

After loan stints at Inter and Roma, the Blues are looking to offload Lukaku permanently this summer and they have a gentlemen's agreement with him that states he will be sold for a fee in the region of €40m.

According to the Evening Standard, Lukaku has officially been designated as the player Conte wants to sign first for Napoli, which suggest that talks with Chelsea will now heat up following his unveiling as the club's new head coach.