Antonio Conte has confirmed that he hopes to have Romelu Lukaku available in his Napoli squad to face Parma in Serie A on Saturday afternoon, following the official announcement of the Belgian’s transfer from Chelsea.
Napoli officially announced the signing of Lukaku on a permanent deal from Chelsea on Thursday afternoon, at a reported cost of €30m plus a 30% sell-on clause. Lukaku has put pen to paper on an initial three-year deal at the Stadio Maradona.
“I hope to have him available today and tomorrow, the day after tomorrow as well because we will train in the morning to get him in tune with the rest of the team.”
It will be a reunion for Conte and Lukaku, who won the Scudetto together during their time at Inter.
Lukaku has scored more goals under Conte than any other coach in his career, with a record of 47 from 72 appearances.
What Napoli coach Conte said about Lukaku
“What can I say about Romelu,” Conte asked during his pre-match press conference on Thursday.
“ He is a unique centre-forward. Usually the big strikers are a bit slow, or you have to use them as a target in the penalty area, or they don’t have the best legs to exploit the space on the pitch.
“I have always described Lukaku as an American Football Player, he’s 1.90m tall, but very fast. He is a powerful player, we need someone who can hold it up, bring other players in, find combinations, while also being a player who can attack spaces and cause damage.
“That’s why I consider him to be unique. Having already said that he’s a good guy, I would put my hand on an open flame for him, and he knows the responsibility that has for me, for Napoli and for the fans.”
Napoli will host Parma at the Stadio Maradona on Saturday evening, kicking off at 19.45 BST.