Napoli Up Level of Urgency to Alter Their Frontline

Napoli are trying to find a solution to unlock the departure of Lorenzo Lucca to replace him with a different back-up and have set their sights on Youssef En-Nesyri, whom Fenerbahce could let go on loan, Gianluca Di Marzio reports.

The Italian forward has fallen on Besiktas’ radar, but he’s not a primary target. They are in the hunt for a new striker as former Roma star Tammy Abraham is inching closer to a reunion with Aston Villa. The 28-year-old Moroccan international will soon be back from AFCON. He has notched 8 goals in 25 matches across all competitions so far and filled his boots last season. He headed to Turkey after a long and productive spell at Sevilla. Juventus could also consider him if they wanted to sign a new physical forward.

En-Nesyri isn’t the only option shortlisted by Napoli. Al-Hilal have displayed interest in Lorenzo Lucca. The two clubs are pondering a swap involving Marcos Leonardo. The operation is in its early stages, but it’s on the table.

The Brazilian starlet was close to joining Roma in the past. He transferred to Benfica instead and eventually to Saudi Arabia for €40M nine months later. He has hit the net 41 times in 63 fixtures with his current side.

Our Take on Napoli, Lucca, En-Nesyri, and Marcos Leonardo

The position of the former Udinese staple is too intricate to be solved by other Italian sides, as he’s still technically on loan and the Partenopei need cash to operate. The money could instead arrive from more exotic destinations, but it remains to be seen whether he’s willing to go there. It might be counterproductive to give Antonio Conte a youngster rather than a veteran, even if talented.