Napoli close to £30m deal for Chelsea striker Lukaku

Napoli is nearing an agreement to acquire Romelu Lukaku from Chelsea following a significant advancement in negotiations.

The 31-year-old Belgian forward is anticipated to transfer to the Italian side for approximately £30 million in a permanent arrangement that will incorporate a sell-on clause.

There is a possibility that this transfer could facilitate Victor Osimhen's move to Chelsea, as the London club is reportedly interested in an initial loan arrangement for the Nigerian striker.

The pursuit of Lukaku by Napoli has been largely influenced by manager Antonio Conte, under whose leadership the Belgian had two highly successful seasons at Inter Milan from 2019 to 2021.

Lukaku returned to Chelsea in 2021 for a fee of £97.5 million but has since spent the last two seasons on loan in Italy, first with Inter and then with Roma.

His comeback to Stamford Bridge has not yielded positive results, and he has not featured for Chelsea since May 2022.