FM Exclusive: Naples wants to rent Sterling and Chelsea will bear part of the salary

Hupu, August 19th, French media FM exclusively reported that as Lukaku suddenly suffered an injury before the start of the new season, Naples has planned five players as replacements for Lukaku, including Sterling.

Naples has planned five forward candidates to replace Lukaku

Romelu Lukaku suffered a severe blow at the beginning of the new season. The Naples Belgian striker was seriously injured in a friendly match with Olympiacos - a large-scale tear of the rectus femoris on his left thigh. The examination at Pineta Grande Hospital confirmed the severity of the injury, forcing the players to immediately initiate a strict rehabilitation plan under the strict supervision of the medical team. The club also said that surgical consultations will be scheduled in the coming days, which means that the possibility of surgery is not ruled out, which may further extend his absence. Although the specific duration of the injury has not been determined, it is initially estimated that it will not return until at least the end of this year, and if complications occur, it may be longer. This was a heavy blow to Antonio Conte and Napoli’s season goals.

Emergency Meeting

On Monday afternoon, Conte, Aurelio de Laurentis and Giovanni Manna held an emergency meeting to decide what to do after Lukaku is seriously injured. The core of the discussion is two strategic options: remove the Belgian from the official list to free up a place and introduce a high-level striker; or retain Lukaku's position while focusing on introducing a potential young striker. However, the meeting did not show panic, but instead reiterated its trust in new aid Lorenzo Luca and its confidence in Noah Lang and David Nerez. In any case, the Naples management unanimously agreed that the front line must be strengthened.

Sterling's rumors reappeared

In a situation where it might have been in disaster, Naples still has an advantage, as the club has been studying the center market all summer and has prepared several feasible routes to replace Lukaku. According to the information we have, Joshua Zilkze is still the club's first choice target, but due to the high transfer fee and Manchester United's tough attitude in negotiations, the transaction is not small. In this case, rumors about Raheem Sterling emerged again in Castel Voltuno. This long-standing unresolved issue may be restarted now. Just hours ago, Naples' top executives had begun to contact the middleman who had helped Manner go to Manchester in May and persuade Kevin De Bruyne. The club hopes Chelsea will lower the asking price, and the current offer is about 25 million euros.

Naples hopes to introduce Sterling on loan and Chelsea will bear part of the salary. After all, his current contract is worth as much as £16.9 million until June 2027. At the same time, Napoli is also considering Lecce striker Nikola Kelstovic, and the two sides have started preliminary contact through the player's agent team. Artem Dovbik, who plays for Rome, may also be the candidate as the Red Wolves seeks to free up funds to complete plans to sign for Jan Piero Gasperini. Finally, Andrea Pinamonti is another solid choice, and the negotiations with Sassuolo have entered a deep stage.

All of these plans show that Naples is actively exploring multiple ways to fill the gap in Lukaku to maintain the competitiveness of the front line. Time is tight, and the club's senior management has a clear understanding of this.