OFFICIAL: Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku completes Napoli transfer

Tom Weber

Updated: 29 Aug 2024 15:11 BST
3 min read

Napoli have officially signed Romelu Lukaku from Chelsea.

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The Belgian's Stamford Bridge nightmare has finally come to an end. Signed in 2021 for an eye-watering €113 million after starring for Antonio Conte's Inter, Lukaku never managed to recapture his Serie A form back at his old stomping ground.

After initially leaving Chelsea in 2014 for €35m, history has now repeated itself a decade later, with Lukaku joining Napoli for €30m upfront. The deal can rise to as high as €45m if all add-ons are achieved, with Lukaku penning a three-year contract.

READ MORE: Latest Chelsea transfer news

Napoli's official announcement of the 31-year-old's arrival has brought a lengthy transfer saga to an end. Chelsea were already desperate to offload the Belgian last year but could not find a buyer willing or able to match their demands. Instead, Lukaku ended up on loan at Roma.

Napoli sign Lukaku

After a season in the capital, Lukaku has now returned to Italy and Serie A, linking up with Conte again, but this time in Naples. Talks over the striker between Chelsea and Napoli had been slow to get going.

This was due to the Serie A's side desire to offload star striker Victor Osimhen first. The 2023 champions have spent heavily this summer to provide Conte with a capable squad and wanted to shift Osimhen before signing his replacement.

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However, it eventually became clear that selling the Nigerian would be much more difficult than anticipated, with clubs wary of splashing the cash on the 25-year-old. Chelsea expressed an interest and remain in talks over Osimhen, but completing a deal has proved difficult.

This meant that Napoli had a decision to make and they have now taken the risk - from a financial point of view - of completing the signing of Lukaku while big earner Osimhen is still on their books, although the striker is believed to be in talks to move to the Saudi Pro League.

The Belgian striker has signed a three-year contract at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.