Lukaku Joins Napoli On Permanent Deal From Chelsea

Romelu Lukaku’s second spell at Chelsea has come to an end after Napoli confirmed that they had signed the Belgium striker on Thursday.

Lukaku, who spent three years at Stamford Bridge earlier in his career, was re-signed by Chelsea in 2021 but spent the past two years out on loan, first with Inter Milan and then last season with Roma.
He now returns to Italy and reunites with Napoli manager Antonio Conte, with whom he spent two successful seasons as an Inter player before being signed by Chelsea in a €115 million deal.

Lukaku scored 47 goals in 72 Serie A games with Conte at Inter, winning the Serie A title in 2020-21, but failed to replicate that form at Chelsea after his big-money return, managing just eight Premier League goals in his first season back in England.

Lukaku scored 13 league goals at Roma last season, adding a further seven as the club reached the Europa League semifinals.

Emerging as a highly sought after talent at Anderlecht before joining Chelsea for the first time in 2011, Lukaku has also played for Manchester United and Everton.

Lukaku is Belgium’s all-time leading scorer with 85 goals in 119 appearances.

Chelsea have been eager to clear players off their books before the end of the transfer window after welcoming a number of new arrivals.

Raheem Sterling and Ben Chilwell are among the senior players manager Enzo Maresca has deemed surplus to requirements.