Napoli sign Chelsea's Lukaku for £30m

Lukaku played for Chelsea between 2011 and 2014 before rejoining in May 2022

Napoli have signed Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku from Chelsea in a £30m deal.

Napoli's move for Lukaku, 31, has been driven by their manager Antonio Conte, under whom the Belgian enjoyed two prolific seasons for Inter Milan from 2019 to 2021.

The striker rejoined Chelsea in 2021 for £97.5m but has spent the past two seasons on loan in Italy, first back at Inter and then with Roma.

Lukaku scored 24 league goals as he won Serie A under Conte in 2021, with his form sparking Chelsea's decision to recruit him.

Disposing of the Belgian – who has not played for Chelsea since May 2022 – gets his £325,000-a-week wages off the books.

Speaking in a pre-match news conference, Conte said Lukaku could make his Napoli debut in Saturday's game against Parma (19:45 BST).

Lukaku's departure comes as Chelsea midfielder Tino Anjorin also moves to Italy's Serie A, joining Empoli on a three-year deal.

Chelsea and Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli are both in talks to sign Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen, 25, which will help Napoli offset their spending.

Chelsea spell a disaster - analysis

by Nizaar Kinsella, BBC Sport football news reporter

Lukaku’s time at Chelsea has been nothing short of a disaster as he has failed to deliver on the initial £100m investment made in the Roman Abramovich era.

"One of the most prolific strikers in European football, Lukaku has returned to the club he supported as a young boy and where he has unfinished business, having been on our books between 2011 and 2014," read Chelsea’s statement in 2021.

To all intents and purposes, the Belgium international felt like the missing piece of the puzzle in a hard-working, defensive Thomas Tuchel team who won the Champions League but lacked real firepower up front.

However, frustrations over game time following an ankle injury in December 2021 led to an unsanctioned interview with Sky Italia where he said he thought the top three teams in the world were "Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich", revealed it was "tough to accept" his Inter exit, questioned Tuchel's system and said he was "not happy".

Lukaku would apologise through the club after former director Marina Granovskaia and manager Tuchel got involved.

But the damage was done with the club’s supporters and his form dipped after losing their backing.

From that summer, Lukaku wanted to leave and Chelsea’s new ownership were happy to oblige but they have struggled to sell him, leading to loan moves back to Inter and again to Roma.

The Blues recouped £15m in loan fees and a further £30m by selling the striker to Napoli but history will remember Lukaku’s spell at Chelsea as an unmitigated waste of time and money.