Romelu Lukaku's second spell at Chelsea has come to an end as Napoli confirmed the signing of the Belgium striker on Thursday. Lukaku, who previously spent three years at Stamford Bridge, was re-signed by Chelsea in 2021 but was subsequently loaned out to Inter Milan and then Roma.
Returning to Italy, Lukaku reunites with Napoli manager Antonio Conte, with whom he enjoyed success at Inter Milan, scoring 47 goals in 72 Serie A games and winning the league title in 2020-21. However, Lukaku struggled to replicate that form at Chelsea, managing only eight Premier League goals in his first season back in England.
During his loan spell at Roma last season, Lukaku scored 13 league goals and helped the club reach the Europa League semifinals. The striker initially rose to prominence at Anderlecht before joining Chelsea in 2011, and has also played for Manchester United and Everton.
With 85 goals in 119 appearances, Lukaku is Belgium's all-time leading scorer. Chelsea, who have been active in the transfer market, have been looking to offload players to make room for new signings. Raheem Sterling and Ben Chilwell are among the senior players deemed surplus to requirements by manager Enzo Maresca.
