Napoli market, Lucca and Lukaku, fates crossed
Napoli’s market revolves around two strikers very different in age, history and prospects, but linked by the same thin line. Lorenzo Lucca and Romelu Lukaku represent two sides of the same offensive gamble, both now in the balance.
Lucca arrived in Naples with high expectations, but also with a burden not easy to manage. The jump from Udine to a square that thrives on ambition and daily pressure was not painless. The Piedmontese striker, at least so far, has not made an impact as the club hoped. He was not the first choice of the management, which had evaluated different profiles, with Gyökeres at the top of the list, but in the end the choice fell on him for mainly economic reasons.
His name, however, continues to circulate abroad. Nottingham Forest has returned to closely monitor him ahead of the winter market. Back in March, the English club had already shown interest, putting him on a list that also included Inter Milan, AC Milan, Atletico Madrid and Napoli, where he then actually arrived. In the Lucca Premier League, he is considered a suitable profile: two meters and one tall, an imposing frame, clear progress in the side-footed game and a physicality that can make the difference in a league made up of duels and high balls.
Forest is looking for a center forward who can give substance to the attack. Lucca remains a more affordable option than other first-tier names and, faced with a convincing offer, Napoli could also sit at the table.
His path became even more complicated with the arrival of Rasmus Højlund. The Dane immediately convinced Antonio Conte, climbing the hierarchies and leaving Lucca in the background. A clear signal, which inevitably fuels thoughts about the Piedmontese player’s future.
On the bottom remains the figure of Romelu Lukaku, the name from which everything had started. As soon as he landed in Naples, Conte had asked De Laurentiis for his loyalist, banking on a bond built over the years. A strong choice that had yielded immediate results: last season the Belgian was decisive in the Scudetto with 14 goals and 10 assists in 36 games.
Then the thigh injury in August changed everything. Lukaku is still stuck in the pits and, although he could leave for Riyadh ahead of the Italian Super Cup against AC Milan, he will be on the bench at best. Conte and the medical staff do not want to take any risks, not least because such an imposing physique needs a longer recovery time.
In the meantime, however, something has cracked in Naples. De Laurentiis is not satisfied with such a heavy investment, especially considering a 6 million net per season salary. The idea of a summer transfer is taking shape, with Saudi Arabia ready to step in. The Saudi Pro League continues to attract big names in European soccer, as evidenced by the arrivals of Ronaldo, Benzema and Milinkovic-Savic, just to name a few, and Lukaku fits this profile perfectly.
