Chelsea is trying to clear house, which is no small feat as the club has 42 first-team players. Manager Enzo Maresca stated, “I am not working with 42 players. I am working with 21 players… The other 15-20 players are training apart. I don’t see them. It’s not a mess like it looks from outside. Absolutely not. They can even have a 20-year contract; it’s not my point. I don’t care.”
One of those players who seems to not have a place left at Chelsea and is under contract is Romelu Lukaku, who is signed until June 2026. Last season, the 31-year-old striker was on loan at Roma, where he scored 21 goals in 47 games. Before that, he was with Inter Milan, where he scored 14 goals in 37 games, winning two titles.
Up next for Romelu Lukaku is a third Italian club. According to Fabrizio Romano, Napoli is looking to sign the striker for the upcoming season.
Romelu Lukaku to Napoli?
According to Romano, talks between the clubs are set to take place on August 24th, Saturday, to push the deal over the finish line. A sale of Romelu Lukaku would help Chelsea begin its long process of shortening their squad.
The nativity scene master Genny Di Virgilio has created the terracotta figurine of Romelu Lukaku with the writing Naples awaits you (Felice De Martino/ SPP)
Romelu Lukaku played at Chelsea in two different stints, neither of which yielded much success, as the striker has 15 goals in 59 games.
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Chelsea began their Premier League campaign with a 2-0 defeat to Manchester City, while Napoli suffered a shock loss to Hellas Verona, 3-0, to open their Serie A season.
