Milan market, makes people talk about the crazy idea Romelu Lukaku
Napoli is nearing a possible breakthrough in attack: the adventure of Romelu Lukaku now seems to be at an end after a complicated season. After a starring first year, closed with important numbers and the Scudetto, the second year was affected by injuries and fluctuating performance: few appearances and only one goal. His last time on the field was on March 6 against Torino, in a match that may have been his last in the Azzurri shirt. Now the Belgian center forward is focused on recovery and commitments with the national team, but his future is already a hot topic on the market.
The idea would be to stay in Italy, with a particular eye on Milan. A return to Inter appears almost impossible, while the Milan hypothesis remains more a hope of the player than a concrete negotiation. The Rossoneri, in fact, are evaluating other options for the attack, such as Robert Lewandowski, Dušan Vlahovic and Gonçalo Ramos.
On the Lewandowski front, however, competition for Milan has become fiercer than expected. According to reports in La Stampa, Juventus has reportedly overtaken the Rossoneri in the race for the Pole, with talks between the Bianconeri and the player’s agent, Pini Zahavi, already advanced. The Barcelona striker, whose contract is expiring, is not expected to renew with the Catalan club despite public openings by president Joan Laporta, who had said, “We would like him to stay, but it will depend on what he wants.” The distances over the salary would have prompted Zahavi to explore Italian options with growing interest, with Juventus now in pole position.
There is no shortage of critical voices about the deal. Former striker Paolo Di Canio, when asked on the subject, commented with his usual irony on the possibility of seeing Lewandowski in Serie A at age 38: “It reminds me of when Serie C players, after retirement, used to come to play at Bar Corallo, in Quarticciolo, my neighborhood in Rome. We would see them and say, ‘Damn that’s cool, oh!’ But that’s the beginning of the end.” Sharp words, which photograph the heated debate around the Italian market and Serie A’s ability to still attract the big names of European soccer.
In the meantime, Napoli is not standing idly by and is already working on building its attack for next season. One of the profiles that ended up on the notebook of sporting director Giovanni Manna is that of Sebastiano Esposito, star of a growing season at Cagliari. The 2002-born striker, currently on loan to the Rossoblù from Inter with a buy-back obligation set at 4 million plus 40 percent on future resale, intrigues the Neapolitan club because of his value for money, age and tactical adaptability. Napoli would have every intention of knocking on Cagliari’s door should the Rossoblù complete the outright acquisition.
On the other hand, the outgoing situation appears just as eventful. Lorenzo Lucca will return from his dry loan to Nottingham Forest, but he is unlikely to find space after his rejection this winter. Also in the balance is Brazilian Giovane, who arrived in January from Hellas Verona without ever scoring and with few minutes in Antonio Conte’s rotation. A revolution, the one looming at the Azzurri, that could profoundly redesign the offensive department ahead of the 2026-27 season.
