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Fenerbahce football director Oguz Cetin announced the signing of Belgian forward Romelu Lukaku on a 1+1-year contract, with the option year set to activate if the club wins the league title.
Speaking on FB TV about preseason preparations and transfers, Cetin confirmed the deal was finalized and said Lukaku would arrive in Istanbul that evening for a medical.
Cetin said Lukaku had faced a recurring injury over the past year. He said the issue stemmed from the forward being fielded before he was fully recovered at Napoli last season, under pressure from then-coach Antonio Conte, which led to a setback in early March.
Lukaku has since worked with a physiotherapist through the Belgian national team to continue his recovery, Cetin said.
Cetin said Lukaku had expressed a strong preference to join Fenerbahce over other clubs and described the player as committed to the club's title ambitions this season.
He added that Lukaku had agreed to financial concessions during the negotiations, including forgoing €2 million (approximately $2.2 million) owed to him by Napoli and covering a further €150,000 requested by the Italian club out of his own funds.
Lukaku, 33, traveled from Brussels to Istanbul's Sabiha Gokcen Airport, where Cetin and several Fenerbahce board and management officials greeted him. Speaking to reporters on arrival, Lukaku said he was thankful for the trust shown by club officials and that his goal was to help the team win the championship this season.
The Congo-born forward began his career at Belgian club Anderlecht before playing for Chelsea, West Bromwich Albion, Everton, Manchester United, Inter Milan, Roma and Napoli.
He has made 681 appearances across his career, scoring 316 goals. His individual honors include two Italian league titles, two Belgian league titles, a FIFA Club World Cup, a Coppa Italia, an FA Cup and two Italian Super Cups. Transfer fees paid for Lukaku over his career total €370 million.
For the Belgian national team, Lukaku has earned 132 caps and scored 93 goals.
Lukaku also noted that his father, Roger Lukaku, played for Ankara-based club Genclerbirligi during the 1996-97 season, calling his return to Turkiye an emotional moment tied to his childhood years in the country.
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