The ground beneath Mount Vesuvius is trembling, but it‘s not an earthquake. A major player is heading south to Italy. Chelsea and Napoli have reached an agreement, and Romelu Lukaku is set to join the ranks at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium! After a lengthy transfer saga during the final stretch of the June transfer window, the English and Italian clubs have finally sealed the deal. Chelsea proved to be a tough negotiator, while Napoli stood firm on their position—until today. Aurelio De Laurentiis ultimately decided to approve a higher offer from sporting director Giovanni Manini for the Belgian striker. Napoli increased their previous offer from 25 to 30 million euros, but Chelsea only nodded in agreement after the Neapolitans agreed to add substantial bonuses worth 15 million to the fixed amount.🚨🚨| Lukaku has already agreed to take a pay cut and sign a three-year contract with Napoli. [@JacobsBen] pic.twitter.com/znQ4F4k4DF— CentreGoals. (@centregoals) July 31, 2024 There is some disagreement among transfer experts regarding the details of Romelu Lukaku’s move to Napoli. While Fabrizio Romano and Matteo Moretto report a deal structured at 30 million plus 15 million in bonuses, Gianluca Di Marzio claims that Napoli will pay a fixed 30 million, with Chelsea retaining 30% of the proceeds from any future sale. Despite Lukaku’s struggles in recent seasons since Chelsea bought him back from Inter for 115 million in 2021, there’s cautious optimism in Naples. The excitement isn’t due to Lukaku’s recent form in the Premier League and Serie A, where he’s looked less than impressive. However, Napoli fans are aware that if anyone can reignite Lukaku’s potential, it’s Antonio Conte. During his time at Inter under Conte from 2019 to 2021, Lukaku was a force to be reckoned with, tearing through defenses with ease. Under Conte’s guidance, Lukaku scored more goals than he did for any other manager in his career (64 goals in 95 matches). He was most lethal and inspired under Conte, contributing a goal or an assist every 96 minutes (64 goals and 17 assists in 7,832 minutes). Napoli to buy Lukaku despite Osimhen?Lukaku is set to sign a contract with Napoli until 2027. Meanwhile, Chelsea will not only cement its status as the biggest spender of the June transfer window but also as the club that generated the most revenue from player sales. Once Lukaku’s transfer is finalized, Chelsea will surpass Leeds United and Aston Villa, reaching 175 million in sales, including deals for Ian Maatsen, Conor Gallagher, Lewis Hall, Omari Hutchinson, and Diego Moreira. Until last June, when Neymar moved to Al Hilal for 80 million, Lukaku held the record for the highest accumulated transfer fees (339.22 million). Although has since jumped to 400 million, Lukaku’s return to Italy brings him closer but doesn’t allow him to surpass Neymar.
