In a decisive move, Napoli’s sporting director, Giovanni Manna, has made a swift trip to London today to finalize a deal for Romelu Lukaku with Chelsea. This operation comes at the request of Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis, following a bid made to Chelsea yesterday amounting to €25 million plus €5 million in bonuses for the Belgian striker. Although this offer is significantly lower than Lukaku’s release clause set at €43 million, there is hope that a sale would benefit Chelsea as well. The club is not inclined to retain an unhappy player, especially since Lukaku has openly expressed his desire to reunite with Antonio Conte in Naples, while also agreeing to a pay cut from €7.5 million to €6 million per year.
The potential departure of Lukaku could offer mutual benefits: Napoli would secure a vital piece for their new attack, while Chelsea would alleviate a problem within their squad, even if the financial return is less than anticipated.
But Manna’s London mission does not end there. He is also scheduled to meet with Brighton’s management to discuss bringing Scottish midfielder Billy Gilmour to Italy. An agreement has reportedly been reached in recent days, with negotiations centered around a fee of approximately €12 million. However, the deal needs to be finalized before Manna returns to Italy. Gilmour has been excluded from Brighton’s last four friendlies, signaling that he is no longer in the club’s plans. His transfer to Napoli seems almost certain, making it crucial for Manna to seal this double deal and return to Italy within the next couple of days with good news.
