Football transfers: Liverpool sign Federico Chiesa, Romelu Lukaku joins Napoli

Aug. 30, 2024, 5:19 a.m.

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On Thursday, August 29th, Federico Chiesa, an Italian international player, transferred to Liverpool from Juventus in a deal reportedly worth £12.5 million. Chiesa has been hampered by injuries throughout his career.

The 26-year-old has joined on a four-year deal for an initial £10 million with a further £2.5 million dependent upon the team’s performance during his time at Anfield.

Chiesa emerged as a prominent talent in European football, playing a crucial role in Italy's victory at Euro 2020.

Advertisement However, his career has been significantly affected by a cruciate ligament injury sustained in January 2022, followed by several other fitness issues.

“I said yes immediately because I know the history of this club, I know what it represents to the fans,” Chiesa said in a club statement.

“I’m so happy and I can’t wait to get started.”

His arrival further strengthens Liverpool's already formidable attacking lineup, which includes Mohamed Salah, Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, and Cody Gakpo.

Chiesa had entered the final year of his contract at the Italian giants and was not selected for new Juventus coach Thiago Motta’s first two matches in charge.

He becomes just Liverpool’s second signing of the transfer window and the first to go into Arne Slot’s squad for this season.

An agreement was reached earlier this week to secure the services of Georgian goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili from Valencia, but he will not join Anfield until next season.

Romelu Lukaku signs for Napoli from Chelsea

Benvenuto Romelu! pic.twitter.com/u5B4hF0y0D

— AurelioDeLaurentiis (@ADeLaurentiis) August 29, 2024 Advertisement Napoli have signed Romelu Lukaku from Chelsea, the Serie A club announced on Thursday, ending the Belgium striker’s extended period in limbo with the Blues.

Owner Aurelio De Laurentiis confirmed the deal, worth a reported 30 million euros, on social media by saying “Welcome Romelu” with a photo of him signing his three-year contract.

Lukaku’s move to Napoli keeps him in Italy, at his third club in as many years after loan spells at Inter Milan and Roma.

The 31-year-old was a beloved figure among Inter supporters, leading the team to the Serie A championship in 2021 under then-manager Antonio Conte. He was subsequently sold to Chelsea for a significant sum exceeding 100 million euros that summer.

Advertisement But Lukaku flopped on his return to Stamford Bridge, and that massive fee left him in limbo as clubs refused to meet the Premier League club’s valuations for a sale.

This led to a disappointing loan spell back at Inter during the 2022/23 season, where he was plagued by injuries and largely sidelined by Edin Dzeko.

His proposed permanent transfer to Inter collapsed last summer when the club discovered that he had been hinting at a potential move to fierce rivals AC Milan and Juventus. As a result, Lukaku and Chelsea ultimately agreed to another loan deal with Roma.

However Roma were not interested in shelling out for Lukaku, allowing Conte to be reunited with a striker whose reputation has suffered in recent years but is still Belgium’s all-time top scorer with 85 goals in 119 appearances.

Advertisement Conte said in a press conference on Thursday that Lukaku will be selected in the Napoli squad for Saturday’s home match with Parma “as loss as he doesn’t have any (physical) problems”.

Napoli is striving to recover from a disappointing league title defense last season, which saw them cycle through three managers and finish in 10th place.

Lukaku's arrival is part of Napoli's rebuilding efforts, aiming to fill the void left by star forward Victor Osimhen, who is reportedly considering a move to Saudi Arabia as no European club has presented a satisfactory offer for Napoli to consider a sale.

Napoli currently sits in 11th place in Serie A after a heavy loss at Verona and a convincing victory over Bologna in their opening two games of the new season.

Advertisement Ajax sign ex-Manchester United striker Weghorst

On Thursday, Ajax confirmed the signing of Dutch international and former Manchester United striker Wout Weghorst on a two-year deal from Championship side Burnley.

Weghorst has earned 39 caps for the Netherlands, scoring 12 goals. He notably scored the winning goal in the 83rd minute of their opening Euro 2024 match against Poland.

Oranje coach Ronald Koeman has used Weghorst as a “super sub”, the striker famously hitting a dramatic 101st-minute equaliser in stoppage time against Argentina in the World Cup quarter-final.

Ajax technical director Alex Kroes said the 32-year-old Weghorst would provide an “absolute top sporting experience.”

“He is a high-scoring striker who is always making things difficult for every opponent,” added Kroes, whose Ajax team is hoping to bounce back from a horror season last year.

Weghorst, who revealed that he supported Ajax as a boy because his grandfather was a fervent fan, declared that he had come to Amsterdam determined to secure a starting position.

“It’s up to me to convince the coach and everyone else that I can be the striker at Ajax. That’s the goal,” he said in an interview posted on the club’s website.

Weghorst has played for a number of teams across Europe, beginning his career with Dutch clubs FC Emmen, Heracles Almelo, and AZ Alkmaar.

He moved to Germany to play for Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga before joining Burnley.

While playing in northern England, he had loan spells with Besiktas in Turkey and Manchester United, where he appeared in 17 Premier League matches but couldn't score a goal.

A subsequent loan spell saw him return to the Bundesliga with Hoffenheim before Burnley sold him to Ajax for an undisclosed fee.

Ajax experienced a disastrous season last year, finding themselves at the bottom of the Eredivisie table at one point and suffering humiliating defeats to their rivals, Feyenoord and PSV Eindhoven.

Despite a positive start with a 1-0 victory against Heerenveen in their season opener, FC Groningen's fortunes took a turn for the worse, suffering a 2-1 defeat on the road against NAC Breda.