Topics: Chelsea, Romelu Lukaku, Napoli, Antonio Conte, Inter Milan, Serie A, Transfer News
Romelu Lukaku has his sights set on just one club after Chelsea have entered negotiations with the Italian side.
After an unsuccessful return to Chelsea, Lukaku is reportedly set to leave the club this summer.
Lukaku re-joined the London club in 2021, after previously playing for them between 2011 and 2014.
After failing to impress on his return to the Premier League, Lukaku has spent the past two seasons on loan with Inter Milan and Roma.
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But, the Belgian forward looks set to join another Serie A club, with Chelsea reportedly in negotiations with Napoli.
TNT Sports have reported that the 31-year-old is keen to join the Italian club and reunite with Napoli manager Antonio Conte.
Conte was recently appointed manager of Napoli in June, 15 months after his dramatic exit from Tottenham Hotspur in March 2023.
The Italian managed Lukaku during his time with Inter Milan from 2019 to 2021, where he made 72 league appearances and scored 47 goals.
The pair were said to have enjoyed a close relationship during this time, making a reunion appear likely.
Speaking to the BBC in 2021, Belgian journalist Kristof Terreur explained Conte’s bond with Lukaku.
"Romelu Lukaku was in love with Antonio Conte," said Terreur.
"They are both football freaks, they both like to be that underdog and that worked out really well.
"Conte really got the best out of Lukaku. When players don’t listen, Conte just likes to kill them. He killed Lukaku too at the beginning in front of the whole squad.
“Lukaku responded to that in a positive way and he used that anger to become better.”
However, a deal may still prove difficult, with Gianluca Di Marzio reporting that Chelsea are demanding €35million plus bonuses for the Belgian, with Napoli looking to pay €10m less.
The striker re-joined Inter Milan on loan from Chelsea during the 2022/2023 season, and looked set to continue his time with the club after the loan following a successful season.
The striker made 37 appearances for Inter across the season and scored 14 goals with seven assists
However, after reportedly negotiating with long-term rivals Juventus for a possible move, the deal collapsed, with both clubs enraged by Lukaku’s perceived disloyalty.
Instead, the Belgian spent the 2023-2024 season on loan with Roma and signed a new deal with Chelsea reducing his wage for the remainder of his contract and introducing a release clause of £37m.
