Romelu Lukaku, the Belgian striker currently with Chelsea, has turned down a move to Aston Villa in favor of joining Napoli as a replacement for wantaway Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen.
Lukaku is keen to reunite with his former Inter Milan coach, Antonio Conte, who now manages Napoli.
Even though Chelsea had agreed on a transfer fee with Aston Villa, Lukaku has chosen to focus on a move to Napoli. “Despite the agreement between Chelsea and Aston Villa, Lukaku is determined to work with Conte again and is not interested in negotiating with Villa,” reported Italian outlets Radio CRC and Il Mattino.
Lukaku, who has had loan spells with Inter Milan and Roma, is not in Chelsea’s future plans. Both Inter and Roma have opted not to pursue him, prompting Lukaku to look for a new club. Chelsea has set a €35 million asking price for Lukaku, and Napoli is now his top choice.
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Napoli faces a challenge in completing Lukaku’s transfer because they first need to sell their current star, Victor Osimhen. Osimhen has a €120 million release clause, and although no club has met this price yet, Paris Saint-Germain is the leading contender.
There is also speculation that Chelsea could be involved in a deal for Osimhen, which might help facilitate Lukaku’s move to Napoli. Napoli hopes that Chelsea will reduce their demands for Lukaku, given that the striker is eager to join them.
In summary, Lukaku’s determination to reunite with Conte at Napoli is clear, despite interest from other clubs and an agreement already in place with Aston Villa.
