Napoli and Fenerbahce are engaged in negotiations for Romelu Lukaku, with the expectation of a positive resolution in a matter of hours. The Partenopei initially refused a €6M bid, but the addition of some bonuses did the trick, Gianluca Di Marzio reports.
The striker has accepted the destination and already taken the medicals. The two clubs are exchanging the documents. He’ll make €10M per season. He will ink a one-year contract with an option, Mediaset informs.
Napoli will have to give 40 percent of the sum coming from Fenerbahce for Lukaku to Chelsea, but they’ll avoid a net loss. More importantly, they’ll open up significant cap room, given his salary.
The departure of the Belgian international was considered a fait accompli during the spring, when he refused to return from international duties to rehab in his home country ahead of the World Cup. He surprisingly did a 180 following the Azzurri’s coaching change. While Massimiliano Allegri would have been fine with him staying, he would have been an overly expensive deputy.
The 33-year-old was instrumental in their Scudetto triumph 2 seasons ago, posting 14 goals and 10 assists. However, he missed most of the recent campaign due to a major thigh injury. His relationship with the club got progressively strained, also due to its commitment to Rasmus Hojlund.
It took a little longer than expected and some unnecessary swings, but it’s a fine solution for everybody in the end. Keeping him was a last resort, financially speaking, that would have only created more drama. While he’s not going to a top league like he perhaps hoped, he’s still joining a team that will keep him relevant.
