Chelsea’s Lukaku Targeted by Napoli, Romano Confirms Bid

Napoli have officially expressed their interest in Chelsea’s Romelu Lukaku, placing a bid for the Belgian striker who seems to have found himself on the outskirts at Stamford Bridge. This move comes from a desire to bring Lukaku back under the wing of Antonio Conte, his former coach at Inter Milan, who is now steering the ship at Napoli.

Lukaku’s Chelsea Saga Nears End

Romelu Lukaku’s time at Chelsea appears to be drawing to a close as he has been sidelined from the main squad. Despite his successful loan spell at AS Roma last season where he netted 21 goals and provided four assists, Lukaku is now training separately from the main team. Chelsea’s management are taking decisive steps to resolve his situation, with a clear strategy to offload him as they navigate this transfer window.

Strategic Moves by Napoli

In a statement on X, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano highlighted the progress of the negotiations: “Understand Romelu Lukaku and Napoli are getting closer. Official bid on the table. Club to club talks now into key stages as Chelsea decision is clear: Lukaku and Osimhen, SEPARATE topics. Full focus on selling Lukaku, then Osimhen story eventually for final days.”

🚨🔵 Understand Romelu Lukaku and Napoli are getting closer. Official bid on the table.

Club to club talks now into key stages as Chelsea decision is clear: Lukaku and Osimhen, SEPARATE topics.

Full focus on selling Lukaku, then Osimhen story eventually for final days. pic.twitter.com/vLnXKQaPIT

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 19, 2024

Napoli’s interest in Lukaku is not their only venture into the market. The Serie A giants are also nearing a deal to bring Benfica’s winger David Neres to Italy for a reported fee of about €30 million. Additionally, they are keeping tabs on Manchester United’s Scott McTominay and Brighton & Hove Albion’s Billy Gilmour, though no agreements have been reached yet.

Potential Implications for Osimhen

While Lukaku’s future is being sorted, the fate of Napoli’s current forward, Victor Osimhen, remains uncertain. The club has found challenges in navigating his transfer situation. Giovanni Manna, Napoli’s sporting director, spoke on the complexity of the market dynamics: “It’s an objective fact, what the coach said, the situation is blocked. Victor is an important player, with an important value and conditions. His desire is clear.”

He continued, “We tried to maintain the integrity of the squad at this moment. We are not the only club in this situation and we’ll see what happens over the next ten days. At this time, it is not right to say what sensations there are. We are working with his entourage to find the best solution. As we said, he is an important player, so it’s not that we can just sell him anywhere. He is under contract for another two seasons, so clearly if we don’t find a solution by August 30, we’ll have to talk to the player.”

As Napoli navigates these complex negotiations, the outcome of these discussions could reshape the playing field for both Napoli and Chelsea as they gear up for the new season. With Lukaku possibly returning to Serie A, the landscape of European football could witness some significant shifts.