Napoli are reportedly open to including Victor Osimhen in negotiations with Chelsea for Romelu Lukaku, with the Serie A side eager to sign the Belgian this summer.
Napoli are reportedly ‘open’ to including Victor Osimhen in negotiations with Chelsea for Romelu Lukaku, with the Serie A side eager to secure a move for the Belgian this summer.
Lukaku is set to return to training at Chelsea’s Cobham Training Centre this week after spending the last two seasons on loan at Inter Milan and Roma.
The 31-year-old will train alongside squad members who have not travelled to the United States for the club’s pre-season tour, including defender Trevoh Chalobah, who is up for sale this summer.
Chelsea are looking for a striker to challenge Nicolas Jackson, and although they have signed teenager Marc Guiu from Barcelona, they are still believed to be in search of another forward.
Lukaku still has two years remaining on his contract at Stamford Bridge after rejoining the Blues for a record £97.5m in 2021.
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Conte eager to sign Lukaku this summer
Chelsea are believed to be eager to offload Lukaku this summer and have made him available for transfer, but they have yet to find a club willing to meet their asking price of £37m.
According to Sky Sports, Napoli have signalled major interest in the Belgian, who Antonio Conte is a huge admirer of having worked with him at Inter Milan.
The pair, who contributed to Inter’s Serie A triumph in 2021, could reunite this summer, but the move will depend on whether Osimhen departs Napoli before the transfer window closes.
It is understood that while the Nigeria international has already agreed personal terms with Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain, Gli Azzurri are still willing to to use the striker as part of the negotiations for Lukaku.
The report adds that Napoli are eager to sign Lukaku as soon as possible and are open to negotiating a deal that would involve Osimhen moving in the opposite direction as part of a swap.
Chelsea were previously linked with a move for Osimhen earlier in the transfer window but moved on to other potential candidates due to the 25-year-old’s release clause, which reportedly stands at a staggering £110m.
However, the chance to offload Lukaku, who earns £325,000 a week, from their wage bill could potentially assist in financing a move for Osimhen.
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Will Osimhen choose Chelsea above PSG?
The one potential complication is whether Osimhen would be willing to move to Stamford Bridge, given that he has already agreed on personal terms with PSG, where he could potentially replace Kylian Mbappe following the France captain’s move to Real Madrid.
Additionally, without Champions League football, Chelsea might not be as appealing as PSG, who have ambitions of winning the tournament this season.
Osimhen played a key role in Napoli’s Serie A title win in 2023, scoring 26 goals in 32 league appearances, which led to him being widely regarded as one of the best strikers in Europe.
Last season, the 25-year-old faced a more challenging campaign but still netted 17 goals across all competitions.
Chelsea have been active in the transfer window this summer, having completed six signings, with reports suggesting a seventh new face is on the way in the form of Villarreal shot-stopper Filip Jorgensen as a potential replacement for Djordje Petrovic.