Romelu Lukaku ends underwhelming second spell at Chelsea by joining Napoli for reported $33M
Associated PressNAPLES, Italy — Romelu Lukaku ended his underwhelming second spell at Chelsea by completing a move to Napoli on Thursday, with coach Antonio Conte saying the Belgium striker could play immediately. Napoli did not give any details of the deal, but Italian media reported Lukaku signed a three-year contract and the Serie A club paid Chelsea 30 million euros plus 30% of any future transfer fee. The pair will be rekindling a winning combination, with Lukaku — Belgium’s all-time record scorer — enjoying his two most productive seasons under Conte at Inter Milan The 31-year-old Lukaku had been training away from the main Chelsea squad in recent weeks as the London club sought to find a buyer for a striker who cost $135 million in 2021 — making him the seventh most expensive soccer player at the time — but had been a flop in his second spell at Stamford Bridge. Napoli missed out on European competition last season with a 10th-place finish, coming a year after winning its first Serie A title since the days when Diego Maradona played for the club.