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What's the story?
According to reports, Napoli are preparing a €70 million bid for Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku.
In case you didn't know...
Despite enduring a below-par season with Manchester United, Romelu Lukaku has been a subject of interest from a lot of clubs, especially from Italy. The 26-year-old striker is open to a move away from Manchester United in the summer, with Italy being his preferred destination.
We previously reported that Antonio Conte has been very keen to bring the Belgian striker to San Siro after being appointed as the new Inter Milan manager last week. These reports also claimed that Lukaku had agreed to take a pay cut to join the Italian side in the summer.
The only issue with any potential deal was United's valuation of the striker; the Red Devils want around €70 million for Lukaku, while the Nerazzurri are not willing to match that valuation.
The heart of the matter
According to CalcioMercato, Napoli have entered the race to sign Lukaku from the Red Devils. The report claims that Napoli's sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli met with the company that manages Lukaku and told them that they are willing to pay €70 million for the Belgian striker and will offer him a contract worth €10 million a season.
Now, Inter Milan are reportedly close to signing Edin Dzeko from AS Roma. This might mean that they are unwilling to match United's valuation and might have cooled their interest in the player. This could be good news for the Gli Azzurri.
What's next?
Napoli's willingness to match Manchester United's €70 million valuation of the striker makes them favourites to land the player. If the Belgian agrees to personal terms with the Italian club, this deal could well and truly happen. Time will tell whether this deal goes through.
