For Chelsea, one of their biggest headaches has finally disappeared. Romelu Lukaku, who was signed by Chelsea for £97.5 million three years ago, has completed his move to Napoli. The Stamford Bridge side earned around £30 million from the deal.
In the last 2 seasons, Lukaku has been loaned out by The Blues. First is a return to Inter Milan before being with AS Roma for a season. Currently, after signing a contract until 2027 with Napoli, Lukaku will receive a salary of 6.5 million Euros/season.
The best striker in the history of the Belgian national team will reunite with Antonio Conte - former Chelsea coach - at Napoli. The pair had a good working relationship at Inter Milan. Most importantly, Chelsea have finally escaped the 31-year-old striker's huge £325,000-a-week salary.
As the summer transfer window of 2024 is about to end, Chelsea will try to chase Victor Osimhen in the context of reducing the salary fund burden. However, The Blues are still struggling with the future of Raheem Sterling, who is no longer in the plans of new coach Enzo Maresca.
For Conte, he was delighted to welcome Lukaku to Napoli on Thursday (local time). Speaking at a press conference after the Belgian's signing was announced, Conte expressed his feelings very clearly.
"What can I say about Romelu Lukaku? First of all, he is a unique striker. Usually, tall strikers are a bit slow, only good at pressing and building walls, not really skillful. However, Lukaku is an exception. He is very similar to a football player in the US. With a height of up to 1m90, Lukaku is not only strong but also extremely fast.
Basically, Lukaku is very suitable for Napoli. We need a player who knows how to hold the ball, exploit space and is sharp in finishing. He meets all the requirements so I appreciate him" - Conte expressed his feelings.
Lukaku's playing career has been likened to a "travel". The Belgian striker has gone through two particularly unforgettable periods with the London team. However, at the age of 31, Lukaku will re- starting his career with Napoli when his time at Stamford Bridge is a long way off.
