How Romelu Lukaku could help Chelsea sign Alex Scott this summer

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Cameron Smith | Digital Content Producer

Accredited sports journalist covering football since 2020

Napoli striker Romelu Lukaku could indirectly help his former club Chelsea complete a deal for Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott after agreeing to join Fenerbahce this summer.

Lukaku, 33, has just one year remaining on his current contract at Napoli, and after an injury-hit season, the Serie A giants are keen to offload him on a permanent deal before the summer window closes.

The Belgium attacker has reached an agreement in principle to complete a move to Fenerbahce ahead of the 2026-27 campaign, as per Gazzetta dello Sport, with a two-year contract offer set to be signed by the striker.

It’s understood that Napoli and Fenerbahce are now discussing the final details of the transfer, with the deal set to be agreed shortly as Massimiliano Allegri’s side look to shift Lukaku off their wage bill.

It has been reported that Napoli are asking for a €15 million fee to sanction a sale, although Fenerbahce are hoping to finalise a deal for slightly cheaper and negotiations are expected to continue over the coming days.

Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus is viewed as a possible replacement for Lukaku by the Napoli hierarchy, but they are currently focused on reaching a full agreement to sell the 33-year-old to Fenerbahce before entering the market for a new centre forward.

How Romelu Lukaku could help Chelsea sign Alex Scott

When Chelsea sold Lukaku to Napoli for €30.7m in 2024, they included a 40% sell-on clause in the deal, according to Gazzetta.

As a result, they stand to earn a small fortune when Lukaku completes his move to Fenerbahce, likely to be at least €5m, and this could help them in their bid to sign the aforementioned Scott.

Having already spent €389m on new signings so far this summer, Chelsea are now prioritising player sales and as many as 20 players could depart Stamford Bridge, either permanently or on loan, before the end of Deadline Day.

However, Scott remains on their radar and the money earned through Lukaku’s move to Fenerbahce, in addition to the expected sales of Trevoh Chalobah, Liam Delap and several others, could help Chelsea sign the Bournemouth star.