The inevitable decline of Romelu Lukaku’s career in Italy has reached a new low, as the former Chelsea striker faces a total freeze-out at Napoli that mirrors the disciplinary bridges he burned before.
Romelu Lukaku’s time at Chelsea was nowhere near as good as it could have been. Despite a club-record £97.5 million return in 2021, Lukaku’s second stint involved a controversial mid-season interview that alienated the fanbase and a return of just eight league goals.
After several loan cycles, his permanent departure last summer was viewed by many at Stamford Bridge as a necessary step to stabilise the club’s culture.
However, his move to Napoli has devolved into a similar state of crisis. Lukaku’s 2025/26 campaign has been a disaster, yielding just one goal in 42 minutes of Serie A action due to recurring hip and thigh injuries.
Frank Lampard has been linked with the Bournemouth job…👀
Would you take him at Chelsea this summer?
Frank Lampard, Current Manager of Coventry City
Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
Antonio Conte to sell Romelu Lukaku
The situation reached a breaking point in late March, when he allegedly failed to report back from international duty, leading to an official disciplinary freeze-out.
And it’s safe to say that Antonio Conte isn’t putting up with it.
According to La Repubblica, the reigning league champions released a strongly-worded statement regarding the striker’s absence, vowing to “consider appropriate disciplinary action, as well as to determine whether the player will continue to train with the squad for an indefinite period.”
Lukaku was forced to withdraw from international duty earlier this month. He was expected to travel back to Italy for further evaluation following his latest blow, but tensions began to surface in his relationship with Napoli after the striker chose to remain in Antwerp to receive treatment.
You can sign ONE player from Spurs if they’re relegated, who are you choosing?
Romelu Lukaku offers a response
Lukaku responded himself on Instagram, explaining the whole situation.
“This season has been a lot for me, from dealing with the injury and the personal loss. I know there has been a lot of noise about my situation in the last few days and it’s important to clarify the whole situation.
“The truth is the last few weeks I wasn’t feeling right physically and I had it checked out while I was in Belgium and it showed me that there was an inflammation and liquid on my hip flexor muscle next to my scar tissue. It is the second problem I had since coming back early November.
“I chose to do the rehab in Belgium so I can help the team when called upon. There’s nothing I would love more than to do than play and win with my team. But right now I have to make sure I am 100% because I haven’t been recently and it took a toll mentally.
“It’s been a lot this year. But in the end, I will get there and help Napoli and the national team to their respective objectives when called upon. That’s all I want.”
Join Our Newsletter
Receive a digest of our best Chelsea content each week direct to your mailbox