Chelsea has reached an agreement with Aston Villa over Lukaku’s transfer fee, but he prefers to move to Napoli.
According to Italian source Il Mattino (via Tutto Mercato), Aston Villa has struck a deal with Chelsea to acquire striker Romelu Lukaku, but Lukaku is hoping for a transfer to Napoli.
Lukaku is not part of new head coach Enzo Maresca’s plans at Stamford Bridge after returning from loan spells at Inter Milan and AS Roma, both of which did not result in permanent transfers. This ongoing uncertainty over Lukaku’s future has been a recurring issue for Chelsea for the third consecutive summer.
The club is keen to finalize his departure permanently after his recent loans to Inter and Roma. They are eager to offload his hefty £325,000-per-week salary and stabilize their wage structure.
The report indicates that Lukaku has committed to Napoli’s manager Antonio Conte and prefers not to move to Villa Park, even though Chelsea has reached an agreement with Aston Villa. The Blues are growing frustrated and want Lukaku to decide quickly, as Napoli’s pursuit depends on the sale of Victor Osimhen, whose future remains uncertain.
Lukaku and Conte previously enjoyed a successful stint together at Inter, winning the Scudetto and achieving significant success, which likely contributes to Lukaku’s desire to reunite with Conte.
