Serie A 2024-25: Romelu Lukaku joins Napoli from Chelsea on permanent transfer

Napoli confirmed the permanent transfer of Beligan striker Romelu Lukaku from Chelsea on a three-year contract, the Serie A club announced on Thursday.

Published : Aug 29, 2024 20:18 IST , Milan, Italy - 1 MIN READ

Lukaku will reunited with Antonio Conte at the Serie A club, with the two previously at Inter Milan.
Lukaku will reunited with Antonio Conte at the Serie A club, with the two previously at Inter Milan. | Photo Credit: AP
infoIcon

Lukaku will reunited with Antonio Conte at the Serie A club, with the two previously at Inter Milan. | Photo Credit: AP

Napoli has signed Romelu Lukaku from Chelsea, the Serie A club announced on Thursday, ending the Belgium striker’s extended period in limbo with the Blues.

Owner Aurelio De Laurentiis confirmed the deal, worth a reported 30 million euros (USD 33.2 million), on social media by saying “Welcome Romelu” with a photo of him signing his three-year contract.

Lukaku’s move to Napoli keeps him in Italy, at his third club in as many years after loan spells at Inter Milan and Roma.

The 31-year-old was the idol of Inter fans when he fired their team to the Serie A title in 2021 under new Napoli coach Antonio Conte before being sold for well over 100 million euros to Chelsea that summer.

But Lukaku flopped on his return to Stamford Bridge, and that massive fee left him in limbo as clubs refused to meet the Premier League club’s valuations for a sale.

It led to an underwhelming year on loan back at Inter in the 2022/23 season during which he was dogged by injury and largely kept out of the team by Edin Dzeko.

His mooted permanent move to Inter broke down last summer as the club found out he had been making noises towards fierce rivals AC Milan and Juventus, so Lukaku and Chelsea eventually accepted another loan deal with Roma.

However Roma was not interested in shelling out for Lukaku, allowing Napoli coach Antonio Conte to be reunited with a striker whose reputation has suffered in recent years but is still Belgium’s all-time top scorer with 85 goals in 119 appearances.

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment