Romelu Lukaku is still the top Napoli target to eventually succeed Victor Osimhen at the center of their attack. However, the market for the Nigerian star has been tepid so far, which delays the pursuit of his heir, Il Mattino informs.
The stalemate might jeopardize the chances of a reunion between the Belgian forward and Antonio Conte. The former Roma loanee is willing to wait for the Partenopei, but probably not all summer long. The Saudi Pro League continues to tempt him with lucrative offers, as was the case in previous summers.
In addition, Napoli would have to convince Chelsea to significantly lower their demands to successfully sign Lukaku. He has a €44M price tag, while the Azzurri, which initially requested him on loan, would only propose €20/25M. A swap isn’t on the table as the Premier League side isn’t interested.
The striker would also have to reduce his salary. He’s making €11M in London, while he settled for €7.5M during his temporary spell in the Italian capital.
The Azzurri remain determined to part ways with Osimhen. It was their original plan when they agreed to an extension, which envisages a €130M release clause, last summer. His wages are about triple their internal cap, so his permanence would be a problem.
Our Take on Napoli and Lukaku
Their pursuit can’t really start until their no.9 departs, and it’d be quite the hairy situation if he didn’t do it relatively soon. The Partenopei have kicked the tires about other forwards but not too seriously, so they might be confident about a late-summer discount to bring in their top target.
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