JUST IN: Lukaku Completes Move To Napoli

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

Club owner Aurelio De Laurentiis confirmed the deal, reportedly valued at 30 million euros ($33.2 million), by welcoming Lukaku on social media with a photo of him signing a three-year contract.

Lukaku’s move to Napoli marks his third Italian club in as many years, following loan spells at Inter Milan and Roma.

The 31-year-old was a fan favorite at Inter when he led the team to the Serie A title in 2021 under the guidance of current Napoli coach Antonio Conte, before being sold to Chelsea for over 100 million euros that summer.

However, Lukaku struggled during his return to Stamford Bridge, with the hefty transfer fee creating challenges as clubs were reluctant to meet Chelsea’s valuation for a sale.

This led to an underwhelming loan spell back at Inter during the 2022/23 season, where he was hampered by injuries and often benched in favor of Edin Dzeko.

A potential permanent move to Inter fell through last summer when the club discovered he had shown interest in rivals AC Milan and Juventus, prompting Lukaku and Chelsea to agree on another loan deal with Roma.

Despite Roma’s lack of interest in a permanent deal, Conte is now reunited with a striker whose reputation has waned in recent years, but who remains Belgium’s all-time top scorer with 85 goals in 119 appearances.

Conte mentioned in a press conference on Thursday that Lukaku will be included in Napoli’s squad for Saturday’s home match against Parma, “as long as he doesn’t have any physical issues.”

Napoli is aiming to recover from a disappointing title defense last season, during which they went through three managers and finished 10th.

Lukaku has been signed as part of the rebuilding process and as a potential replacement for star forward Victor Osimhen, who is reportedly considering a move to Saudi Arabia as no European club has yet met Napoli’s asking price.

Napoli currently sits 11th in Serie A after a heavy defeat at Verona and a convincing win over Bologna in their first two matches of the new season.