Three strikers aiming for Italy call-up after summer transfers
Several Italian strikers have already completed moves in the 2025 summer transfer window and will be aiming for a spot in the Azzurri squad this season.
Italy are desperate for goals and points in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers to qualify for the competition for the first time in ten years.
It is no secret that the Azzurri have been looking for prolific goal scorers over the last decade, and the new season will surely offer intriguing chances to those aiming for an international breakthrough.
Football Italia looks to three strikers who will be aiming for a national team call-up after their summer transfers.
Lorenzo Lucca – Napoli
The 24-year-old has joined Napoli from Udinese on an initial loan deal with an option to buy. Scorer of 12 goals in 33 Serie A appearances in Friuli last term, Lucca is not a new face in the Azzurri squad, having already made five appearances under Gennaro Gattuso’s predecessor Luciano Spalletti. Lucca has yet to score his first international goal, and although he may not be an immediate starter at the Stadio Maradona, competition with Romelu Lukaku and training sessions under Antonio Conte will surely help his development, offering him a genuine chance to battle Moise Kean and Mateo Retegui for a starting spot.
Francesco Camarda – Lecce
The promising striker, 17, has joined Lecce from Milan on loan with an option to buy and a buy-back option for the Rossoneri. Camarda is the youngest Serie A debutant and became the youngest Italian debutant in the Champions League last season. He has yet to score his first Serie A goal, but is widely regarded as one of the most promising Italian strikers. His move to the Stadio Via Del Mare will offer him a chance to play at a senior level more regularly than at Milan, but it remains to be seen whether he’ll need to make a step into the Italy U21 squad before joining the senior Azzurri team after netting six goals in 10 appearances at a U19 level.
Francesco Pio Esposito – Inter
Yet again, Esposito can’t be considered an immediate starter at Inter, but his performances in the Club World Cup, including a goal against River Plate in the group phase, convinced the Nerazzurri to keep him at the club after a two-season loan spell at Spezia in Serie B, where he scored 22 goals in 79 appearances. The 20-year-old has already scored seven goals in 11 appearances with the U21 Azzurri squad and will be aiming for the next step at an international level this season.
Don’t forget about Gianluca Scamacca, the starting Italy striker at the Euros just one year ago, who missed the entirety of the 2024-25 season due to a knee injury. The ex-West Ham forward is ready to return to action for La Dea. Although he’s not a new signing for La Dea, Retegui’s move to Al-Qadsiah has left him with less competition for a starting spot in Bergamo. Will it be enough to become a key player under Gattuso?