Chelsea and Napoli are in discussions regarding the permanent transfer of Romelu Lukaku, Sky Sports reported on Saturday.
The 31-year-old rejoined Chelsea in the summer of 2021 for a then club-record fee of £97.5million but soon fell out of favour after a challenging first year back at Stamford Bridge.
Lukaku signed a five-year contract upon his return to Chelsea, having played a key role in Inter's Serie A title win in the 2020/21 season. His substantial wages have hindered a permanent move, despite it being evident that he has no future at Stamford Bridge.
Inter took Lukaku on loan during the 2022/23 season, and Roma did the same last season—stints that produced 23 goals in 57 Serie A appearances. However, Chelsea are not prepared to consider another temporary departure.
It has been reported that a long-rumoured move to Napoli, which would reunite Lukaku with his former manager Antonio Conte, is now firmly on the cards, with the two sides discussing the details of a permanent transfer.
The Belgian has already agreed personal terms with Napoli and is eager to work with Conte once more, having played arguably the best football of his career under the Italian's management.
A deal could finally enable Victor Osimhen to leave Napoli – a player Chelsea have long targeted and who is also a primary focus for Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain.
Lukaku will need to accept a substantial wage reduction for Napoli to afford the deal, but it's said he is prepared to do whatever it takes to bring his time at Chelsea to a close.
