Chelsea castaway Romelu Lukaku has yet to join Napoli, but Antonio Conte is already acting like the Belgian is at his disposal. According to TMW, the Italian manager and his staff have given the Belgium international instructions and training programs to follow while working separately from the Blues squad.
Conte has identified Lukaku as a perfect replacement for outgoing star Victor Osimhen. However, Napoli must sort out the Nigerian’s departure before accelerating talks with Chelsea. Paris Saint-Germain should be Osimhen’s landing spot, but negotiations between the parties are progressing slowly.
With Napoli opting for a ‘waiting game,’ Lukaku’s return to Serie A remains on hold. On top of that, new Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has left him out of his pre-season squad. The 31-year-old has stayed in Europe while the remainder of the Blues team jetted off to the United States for the off-season tour earlier this week.
Lukaku has already accepted Conte’s proposal to join Napoli. The duo’s prolific relationships provided the backbone for Inter’s Serie A triumph in 2020/21. And Conte hopes to recreate those memories at the Diego Maradona Stadium as he bids to rebuild the Partenopei following a nightmarish 2023/24 campaign.
Testifying Lukaku’s readiness to join Napoli is the fact he’s willing to take a substantial pay cut to facilitate the move. The former Roma striker earns a whopping €11 million per year at Stamford Bridge, but he’s ready to reduce his earnings to €6m per season to link up with Napoli.
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