“Transfer Tug-of-War: Conte Poised to Derail Aston Villa’s Lukaku Deal as Napoli Circles”
Aston Villa has already secured eight new signings this summer, but Antonio Conte is determined to prevent it from becoming nine. While the departure of Douglas Luiz to Juventus now seems like a distant memory, Villa quickly filled the gap by bringing in Amadou Onana. This has arguably given them better squad depth for the 2024-25 season compared to last year.
Villa’s transfer activity isn’t over yet, as scouts were recently seen observing Lutsharel Geertruida from Feyenoord. Additionally, they’re in the market for a new striker amid uncertainties surrounding Jhon Duran, having made inquiries about Romelu Lukaku as Chelsea seeks to sell him.
It appears Romelu Lukaku’s departure from Chelsea is imminent, with Napoli expressing interest in a swap deal involving Victor Osimhen. However, negotiations have hit a snag over a £10 million difference in Lukaku’s valuation, which has given Villa an opportunity to step in.
Nonetheless, reports from Italy indicate that Napoli’s manager, Antonio Conte, is prepared to intervene to prevent Lukaku from joining Villa. According to the Italian outlet CalcioNapoli, Conte is ready to personally advise Lukaku to hold out for Napoli and reject any potential offer from Villa. A deal might depend on Osimhen’s departure, but Chelsea has yet to reach an agreement on a fee for the Nigerian forward, who has been left out of Napoli’s squad for the start of the season.