Napoli attack shake-up: Lukaku return to decide Lucca’s future | OneFootball

The countdown has begun: Romelu Lukaku sees the finish line. The Belgian striker is gradually revving up his engine in training, with the declared goal of returning to the squad for the prestigious Italian Super Cup clash against Milan. Antonio Conte is monitoring every bit of progress, determined to carefully assess the physical responses of his center-forward before giving the final green light.

Napoli, Lukaku’s return opens the door to departures: two Azzurri on the move

But Big Rom’s return is not just a matter of being on the pitch and scoring goals: it’s the turning point that could unlock Napoli’s entire January transfer market in the attacking department. Today’s edition of Corriere del Mezzogiorno highlights how the fate of his fellow forwards is inextricably linked to the Belgian’s medical file.

All eyes are especially on the situation of Lorenzo Lucca. The former Udinese giant has suitors, but the Neapolitan management has pulled the handbrake. Uncertainty over Lukaku’s recovery timeline and methods is blocking any transfer talks regarding Lucca, according to the newspaper. In short: until Napoli has absolute certainty that the Belgian giant is back to 100% and can guarantee consistency, Lucca isn’t going anywhere. It’s a different story, however, for the young Giuseppe Ambrosino. For him, the path seems set regardless of the dynamics among the starters: in January, he could pack his bags to seek more playing time elsewhere, allowing him to continue his development. The coming weeks will therefore be intense for sporting director Giovanni Manna: between the pitch (assessing Lukaku) and the office (managing departures), the offensive setup for the second half of the season will be decided.

Andrea Alati

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