According to various reports, the Romelu Lukaku Napoli transfer fee will equate to around £37.5m, including add-ons, as the Chelsea striker finally prepares to leave Stamford Bridge on a permanent deal.
The Blues re-signed Lukaku for a second spell from Inter Milan for around £97.5m, including add-ons, back in the 2021 summer transfer window, meaning that they are set to make a huge loss of £60m on his sale. On a positive note, Chelsea can now use the money they will bring in for Lukaku to sign a brand new number nine, with a few names being linked to potentially follow Joao Felix and co through the doors at Stamford Bridge.
The Portugal international netted on his return to the Blues as Enzo Maresca's side thrashed Wolves 6-2 at Molineux in the Premier League over the weekend, as Noni Madueke notched up a hat-trick and Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson also got on the scoresheet. Nonetheless, it does not seem like Lukaku will be missed at Chelsea at all.
Romelu Lukaku Napoli transfer fee: What went wrong at Chelsea?
When Chelsea re-signed Lukaku from Inter, he was touted as the answer to their goalscoring problems. Jorginho, a defensive midfielder, was their top scorer in the 2020/21 Premier League season with just seven goals, made even more alarming with the fact that he also took penalties.
By contrast, Lukaku scored 24 goals in Serie A to help Inter win the Scudetto and was named their Player of the Year. He also had previous Premier League experience at Everton and Manchester United, and excelled in Blue in particular.
The Belgian seemed like a perfect fit, but things just did not quite click at Chelsea. Indeed, he lasted just one season at Stamford Bridge after scoring only eight Premier League goals, and was subsequently loaned back to Inter the next campaign, before spending last term on loan at AS Roma.
At 31 years of age and being one of Chelsea's highest earners on a reported £325,000 per week, the Blues could really benefit from Lukaku finally heading out of the exit door on a permanent basis.
With the money they save from his imminent departure, they could invest in forward targets before the summer transfer window closes on Friday.
