Romelu Lukaku wasted no time in reminding football of his importance as one of the sport’s most efficient strikers.
The Belgian striker played just 30 minutes Naples debut to find the back of the net for their new employers.
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Lukaku completed his move to Naples on Thursday in a deal worth £30m as he was reunited with the former Chelsea boss Antonio Conte with whom he spent two successful seasons in Inter Milan.
Although he was named in the starting line-up for Saturday’s Serie A game against Parma, the 31-year-old came into action shortly after half-time with Napoli trailing 1-0.
But 30 minutes later, Lukaku made his presence felt with a fine first touch in the box before unleashing a powerful left-footed shot that flew past the keeper.
The goal was a catalyst for Conte’s side, with former Fulham midfielder André-Frank Zambo Anguissa scoring a last-minute winner to secure a second win in three for Napoli.
Lukaku’s future has been the subject of intense speculation this summer after being part of Chelsea’s ‘bomb squad’ of players who had been exiled from the club’s main team plans.
Having joined the Blues in the summer of 2021 for a fee of £97.5m, Lukaku has spent the last two seasons on loan in Italy, at Inter Milan and then Roma.
Having not played for Chelsea since May 2022, the forward’s future at Stamford Bridge was already uncertain, but his £325,000-a-week wages posed a problem for any interested parties.
But with Napoli looking for firepower this summer, it seems both Lukaku and Conte will be delighted with the signing.
In addition to former Fulham player Anguissa, Lukaku will also play football alongside former Manchester United star Scott McTominay.
The Scotland international completed a £25million move to Napoli on deadline day – a deal that Erik ten Hag said it was disappointing due to his admiration for the player’s performances on the field.
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However, Lukaku is unlikely to play alongside Victor Osimhen after the striker was left out of the club’s Serie A squad.
It is understood that the delegates of Chelsea stayed in Naples until the final moments of the transfer window before a deal could not be reached.
The Blues told Napoli they would take Osimhen on loan with an obligation to buy but were unable to reach a personal agreement with the striker.
Saudi Arabian side Al Ahli were also heavily linked with a move but ended up signing Ivan Toney from Brentford for £40mdespite having reached a deal to buy Osimhen on Friday.
It has been claimed that the Saudi Pro League side had a bid worth £67m accepted by Napoli and offered Osimhen a four-year package worth £135m in salary and bonuses.
Chelsea were unwilling to match the terms offered in Saudi Arabia and did not want to spend more on the deal due to Profit and Sustainability regulations.