Lukaku Does a 180, Voices Hope to Prolong Napoli Stay

In partnership with

The Cult of Calcio

·27 May 2026

Lukaku Does a 180, Voices Hope to Prolong Napoli Stay

Romelu Lukaku broke his silence on his disappointing season and made a surprising remark about his future, as he wishes to stay at Napoli, despite the recent rift. He spoke to RTBF and to the press during an event in Monte Carlo (via Fanpage).

“I have one more year on my contract, and I’m very happy where I am. I apologized to Antonio Conte, we spoke, and he understood my situation. It’s all water under the bridge. I’ll be forever thankful to him, as he made me the player I am today. I hope he’ll need me again in the future.”

Lukaku will get a chance to play alongside Kevin De Bruyne in the World Cup, something that barely happened with Napoli because of their respective injuries. They starred together for just six minutes.

OneFootball Videos

“I’m bothered by the way the Italian media depicted the situation. They exaggerated it. I didn’t go to Belgium on vacation; I just wanted to recover as quickly as possible. It’s all good with the team, and I think it’s evident why I acted that way. My love for it is intact. I feel good, and I am in better shape than before the 2022 World Cup.”

Our Take on Lukaku and Napoli

A new coach will be more lenient than Conte on this kind of stuff, as it’s tough to be harsher, but it’d still be pretty surprising if he indeed stayed, given the fractured relationship. It’s unlikely they’ll play with two strikers no matter their choice. They’ll need a backup, but he’s too expensive salary-wise and his presence is too cumbersome for that. The parties will likely sit down and find a way out that pleases both after the World Cup.