Story by Emil Martesen.
Napoli are willing to let Lukaku go for around €10m, according to Footmercato and Monaco have already asked for details on the 33-year-old.
That price tag reflects how badly last season went. Lukaku spent 196 days on the sidelines, missed 34 matches and scored just one goal in 64 minutes across seven appearances. He is now working under Massimiliano Allegri, who replaced Antonio Conte in with Rasmus Højlund ahead of him in the pecking order.
Why the Principality makes sense
Monaco’s interest is tied to Folarin Balogun’s uncertain future. New head coach Filipe Luís, appointed in July after winning the Copa Libertadores at Flamengo, would need cover up front if the United States international leaves. A move to Ligue 1 would also reunite Lukaku with Paul Pogba, his former Manchester United teammate.
Turkish offers turned down
Lukaku’s own priority, reports out of Italy say, is to stay in Europe. He has already turned down two offers from Turkish clubs, and Saudi Arabia is being treated as a fallback rather than a target.
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The American offers have not gone away either. Atlanta United have been in the picture for weeks, and New York City FC earlier identified him as a marquee signing. Ajax have also asked, though none of the interested clubs have moved to a formal offer.
The money is the block
Lukaku currently earns around €12m gross per season at Napoli, and any move to Monaco will require him to accept reduced personal terms. Napoli, for their part, are effectively frozen in their own transfer market until they get the Belgian off the books, with a sale needed to fund the rest of Allegri’s summer business.
