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

Federico Chiesa joined Liverpool from Juventus on Thursday (August 29) in a deal worth a reported £12.5 million for the Italian international, who has been dogged by injuries.

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 was one of the rising stars of European football after his role in helping Italy win Euro 2020.

But his career has been derailed by a cruciate ligament injury suffered in January 2022 and a number of fitness issues since.

“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.

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

His arrival adds even more depth to a Liverpool frontline boasting 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.

A deal to bring Georgian goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili from Valencia was agreed earlier this week but he will not arrive at Anfield until next season.

Romelu Lukaku signs for Napoli from Chelsea

Benvenuto Romelu! pic.twitter.com/u5B4hF0y0D

— AurelioDeLaurentiis (@ADeLaurentiis) August 29, 2024

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 the idol of Inter fans when he fired their team to the Serie A title in 2021 under new Napoli coach Antonio Conte before being sold for well over 100 million euros to Chelsea that summer.

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.

It led to an underwhelming year on loan back at Inter in the 2022/23 season during which he was dogged by injury and largely kept out of the team by Edin Dzeko.

His mooted permanent move to Inter broke down last summer as the club found out he had been making noises towards fierce rivals AC Milan and Juventus, so Lukaku and Chelsea eventually accepted 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.

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 are trying to bounce back from a dreadful league title defence last term in which they went through three managers and finished 10th.

Lukaku has been brought in as part of that rebuilding process and as a replacement for want-away star forward Victor Osimhen who is reportedly considering a move to Saudi Arabia as no European club has offered enough for Napoli to sell.

Napoli currently sit 11th in Serie A after a crushing defeat at Verona and convincing win over Bologna in their first two matches of the new season.

Ajax sign ex-Manchester United striker Weghorst

Ajax said Thursday they had signed Dutch international and former Manchester United striker Wout Weghorst on a two-year contract from Championship outfit Burnley.

Weghorst has won 39 caps for the Netherlands, scoring 12 goals, notably a winner 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 said he supported Ajax as a young boy as his grandfather was a huge fan, said he had come to Amsterdam determined to fight for a first-team place.

“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 several clubs around Europe, starting his career at Dutch league sides FC Emmen, Heracles Almelo, and AZ Alkmaar.

He went to Wolfsburg to play in the German Bundesliga before joining Burnley.

During his time in northern England, he went out on loan to Besiktas in Turkey, and Manchester United, where he played 17 Premier League games without finding the back of the net.

Another loan spell saw him back in the Bundesliga with Hoffenheim before Burnley sold him to Ajax for an undisclosed fee.

Ajax endured one of the worst seasons in their history last year, at one point propping up the Eredivisie table and suffering humiliating losses to rivals Feyenoord and PSV Eindhoven.

After an encouraging 1-0 win over Heerenveen on the opening day this year, it became clear that the corner had not yet been turned as they lost 2-1 away to NAC Breda.