Napoli: Conte shifts focus, midfield boosted, eyes on Hojlund back-up | OneFootball

The market is the art of adaptation, and Napoli’s plans have changed on the fly, dictated by medical reports. Until just a few days ago, the absolute priority seemed to be the purchase of a midfielder to address the emergency in the center of the pitch—hit hard by the injuries to De Bruyne, Anguissa, Gilmour, and the brief stop for Lobotka—but today the scenario has radically changed. Antonio Conte has decided to revise the shopping list, shifting the focus from the crucial area of the field to the attacking department.

Napoli, attack alarm: Lukaku still far away, Lucca is unripe

What prompted this U-turn, as highlighted in today’s edition of Il Roma, was the rapid recovery of the unavailable players. Zambo Anguissa and Billy Gilmour are now just a step away from rejoining the group: the midfield emergency is naturally resolving itself, allowing management to concentrate resources where the “blanket” is truly short.

The issue to resolve concerns the backup striker. While the starting spot is locked down by a Rasmus Hojlund who is performing well beyond expectations, behind him there is a gap that worries the coach. Lorenzo Lucca is considered a prospect to work on but needs time, while Romelu Lukaku’s recovery times are still long. For this reason, the idea of a move in attack is no longer taboo: Napoli is looking for a “ready now” profile, an experienced striker capable of giving the Dane a rest without lowering the team’s level.

Andrea Alati

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.