Napoli Searching For Backup Strikers, Eye Sassuolo Man | OneFootball

Napoli and Romelu Lukaku come to a truce after his impromptu hiatus in Belgium following the last international break. While his future will take some time to be sorted out, the Partenopei are anticipating his summer exit. They have started looking at potential replacements.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the Azzurri will search for a proper deputy for Rasmus Hojlund, who has played basically all the time this year. His €44M option to buy is about to be automatically triggered.

Napoli have earmarked Andrea Pinamonti, who’s having a fine season at Sassuolo. He has had more than a few stops during his Serie A career. He has already accumulated 252 appearances, which doesn’t hurt. The marksman has tallied 8 goals and 4 assists this campaign. He previously starred for Genoa, Inter, and Frosinone. The 26-year-old reached the double-digit threshold three times in his career and has four matches at his disposal to do it again. The Neroverdi paid €20M to acquire him in 2023 and loaned him out for a campaign after their relegation.

Per Fanatik (via Mediaset), Besiktas have taken an interest in Lukaku and wish to sign him on the cheap. Instead, the Azzurri aim for a respectable haul, hoping he’ll do well in the World Cup despite an injury-riddled season.

Our Take on Napoli, Lukaku, and Pinamonti

They need a real backup to avoid overloading Hojlund, but they’ll already spend a big buck on him. They’ll have to settle for what they can find. The Sassuolo man might be a tad too expensive for the job. Other managers might like Giovane, who’s not very physical and is more of a second striker, in that position more than Antonio Conte.