Genoa Transfer Market: Talks with Napoli Regarding the Surplus Forward Who Has Caught Torino’s Eye
Genoa has set its sights on Lorenzo Lucca, whose future at Napoli remains uncertain. But—in addition to the strong interest from Torino, where the player would be returning to his former club—there’s also Lazio, fresh off its embarrassing defeat to Mantova in the Coppa Italia: The Biancocelesti have requested information to evaluate a possible loan transfer, while the Rossoblù have also made an inquiry. Napoli, however, has no intention of cutting a deal after investing 35 million euros in the center forward.
Lazio’s loss to Mantova turned into a complete disaster: Gennaro Gattuso’s team was defeated 2-0 at the Olimpico by the Serie B side in the second round of the Coppa Italia. The Biancocelesti got off to a good start, with Dele-Bashiru hitting the post, but in the second half they squandered their lead through Cancellieri and were punished first by Ruocco in the 75th minute and then by Cajazzo in the 96th minute. Not even the introduction of new signing Frattesi in the 70th minute changed the course of the match. This result increases the pressure on the transfer market and makes the arrival of a quality center forward even more urgent.
While waiting to see what the club’s decision will be, Lucca responded on the field, completing both summer training camps—first in Dimaro Folgarida and then in Castel di Sangro. The forward finished the preseason as Napoli’s top scorer with three goals.
After failing to score against Arezzo and Carrarese, Lucca broke his scoring drought in Abruzzo, netting in the 2-1 win over Osasuna. He failed to score in the subsequent match against Celta Vigo, before netting a brace on August 12 in the 6-2 victory over Aris Thessaloniki.
With three goals, Lucca finished ahead of Politano and De Bruyne—both with two—and Hojlund, who scored just once. These positive numbers, however, have not yet dispelled doubts about his future at Napoli. The player continues to train regularly, waiting to find out what the club’s final decision will be.
The main issue concerns Napoli’s strategy in the transfer market for attacking players. With the sale of Romelu Lukaku to Fenerbahçe, the Neapolitan club has freed up significant resources and is now firmly targeting Gabriel Jesus, a Brazilian forward born in 1997 who is set to leave Arsenal. The player, represented in Italy by Branchini, has reportedly already expressed his interest in a move to Naples and does not intend to renew his contract with the Gunners, which expires in 2027. It is precisely the potential arrival of Jesus that effectively makes Lucca’s continued presence with the Azzurri unnecessary: Allegri is not particularly fond of the former Udinese player, and the Livorno-born coach would prefer to rely on the Brazilian as his starting center forward.
