Chelsea are in for a busy 2024 summer transfer window as they look to set up a strong enough squad for new head coach Enzo Maresca. However, it appears that the Premier League heavyweights are quite adamant about what will need to happen for them to sell striker Romelu Lukaku.
Chelsea Make Romelu Lukaku Stance Clear To Napoli
What Are Chelsea’s Conditions For Selling Lukaku?
Fabrizio Romano has reported that Chelsea have “made clear their stance” that they will not allow the Belgian forward to leave on yet another loan deal for the 2024/25 season. That is after they loaned him out to Inter Milan and then AS Roma over the last two campaigns. The only way Lukaku will be offloaded is if a club offers to sign him permanently.
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The journalist adds that the Blues have told Napoli that they won’t prevail in attempts to sign the Belgian striker on a short-term deal. They are insisting that the £38 million release clause on his contract will need to be activated for him to be united with Antonio Conte. It’s also stated that the London heavyweights are ready to look into approaches from other parties, including any Saudi Arabian side that is interested in signing the forward.
Lukaku has recently actually spoken about a potential future move to Saudi Arabia and seems quite open to it. He recently told HLN: “Saudi Arabia wouldn’t stop me. The level will only increase. To a much higher level than many people think. More and more football players will tend to play there. Also because of how the fans there experience football. The infrastructure still needs to be improved, but all major European top clubs know, ‘Saudi Arabia is coming’. You already see that in boxing, golf, Formula 1.”
How Can Napoli Sign Lukaku?
Romano has revealed that there is a belief within the Chelsea camp that the only way Napoli can afford to sign Lukaku on a permanent transfer is if they are able to sell their star forward Victor Osimhen in the summer window. Conte, meanwhile, has been a big admirer of the Belgian striker for a long time and even signed him for Inter in 2021 when they went on to win the 2021/22 Serie A title.
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That is probably why Conte wants to sign Lukaku for Napoli in an attempt to get them challenging for the league title again. But with Chelsea refusing to loan out the 32-year-old forward again, the Italian side will have to find the necessary funds to sign him. The Belgian forward has had quite an eventful career so far, having scored 301 competitive goals at the club level, which includes 70 goals in 129 Serie A appearances so far.
