How Lukaku changes Napoli’s pursuit of Junalu and Elmas | OneFootball

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.

CASTEL DI SANGRO, ITALY – AUGUST 14: Romelu Lukaku lies on the pitch after being injured during the pre-season friendly match against Olympiacos at Stadio Teofilo Patini on August 14, 2025 in Castel di Sangro, Italy. (Photo by Giuseppe Bellini/Getty Images)

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.

MONZA, ITALY – MARCH 02: Eljif Elmas of Torino celebrates after the Serie A match between Monza and Torino at U-Power Stadium on March 02, 2025 in Monza, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Scaccianoce/Getty Images)

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.