According to Corriere dello Sport, Napoli has decided to put Lukaku on the transfer market and the club is waiting for offers.
After discussions with his agent, Federico Pastorello, both sides have reached an agreement – unless a dramatic turn of events occurs, Lukaku's future will not be tied to Napoli. Pastorello is actively seeking solutions and submitting them to the club and the player for evaluation. Despite Lukaku's outstanding performance at the World Cup and his consideration of fulfilling his third and final year contract, the rigid requirement to reduce his total salary has already dominated the fate of the "Little Beast." His annual salary is considerable, reaching €11 million (before tax). Therefore, the transfer engine has been set in motion: Chelsea will sell him for €30 million in 2024, with an additional transfer fee clause. After recovering from injury, Lukaku proved at the World Cup in the United States that he has fully recovered his physical condition and demonstrated the ability of a top center forward. This means that he will not be sold for a low price.
Lukaku is currently on vacation with his family, but just yesterday (July 21st, Beijing time), he updated his social media, posting a photo of himself training. He has resumed training and is awaiting developments. He is scheduled to join Napoli in Castel di Sangro on August 5th – however, this could change depending on the transfer market. At the end of the season, he was linked with clubs in Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the Premier League, Monaco, Ajax, and his first professional club, Anderlecht, but Pastorello denied any possibility of a return in the near future. Furthermore, Pastorello traveled to the United States during the World Cup, and Lukaku also has some appeal in North America.
In stark contrast to Lukaku is his close friend De Bruyne. Both are on holiday, but De Bruyne remains central to Napoli's plans. Allegri also expects him to arrive in Abruzzo on August 5th to assess his condition and discuss the future. However, the club hopes De Bruyne can attend the centenary celebrations on August 1st and is discussing with Kevin Durant the possibility of an earlier return. The final outcome remains to be seen.
Meanwhile, De Laurentiis began his 15th summer training camp in Di Maro yesterday and will travel to the Carciato Stadium today (local time) to watch the first friendly match against Arezzo. The president arrived at the Hotel Spötel in the Dolomites—Naples's home base—on Monday evening and has already begun work. His schedule is packed: from negotiations to renew agreements with local agencies to meetings with senior management. Analyzing the team's current situation and future with sporting director Manna and coach Allegri is routine, covering technical matters, the transfer market, and contract renewals. Manna has already secured Catanzaro's right-back Costantino Favassuri and finalized the signing of Boca Juniors' Argentine winger Ezequiel Ceballos—both young talents (22 and 24 years old) are considered a perfect fit for the team's plans, but pressure from player departures has hindered their transfers. No sales, no signings—this is an unwavering principle. In summary: For Hasa and Zelbing, negotiations are underway with Frosinone; talks are ongoing with Verona regarding Cedira (and Zelbing); Cayust is favored by Genoa; Lindstrom is close to joining Schalke 04; Ngonguet is attracting interest from Olympiacos; and Milinkovic-Savic has a possibility of joining the Premier League.
