How Lukaku changes Napoli’s pursuit of Junalu and Elmas

Napoli are still making evaluations for Sevilla’s Juanlu Sanchez, and while anything can still happen, things are not quite as certain as they were before for the Partenopei following the injury to Romelu Lukaku. 

What Lukaku means for Napoli, Juanlu and Elmas

The same is also true of Napoli’s pursuit of former winger Eljif Elmas. As things stand, Napoli have decided not to pursue any of the names that they have recently considered. 

This is because there are currently other priorities. Lukaku is expected to miss several months at the start of the 2025-26 season, and his absence highlights a need to allocate a significant chunk of the club’s budget elsewhere. 

Rasmus Hojlund, the first-choice candidate in attack, would prefer a definite, permanent move away from Manchester United in order to avoid having to return and go through the same process again next summer. Napoli are working on his signing. 

Napoli remain confident that they will receive the green light from Elmas in the near future. Then, there will still be time to make further assessments. 

Being without Lukaku for several months, though, means that Napoli’s current priority is making sure they don’t miss their chances to bring in a new striker.