Darwin Nunez not heading to Napoli as Italian champions 'move for' Italian striker

Napoli’s pursuit of Darwin Nunez appears to be over. After more than a month of negotiations with Liverpool, the Italian champions are now reportedly closing in on a move for Udinese forward Lorenzo Lucca instead.

Despite the Uruguay international being open to a transfer to Serie A, Liverpool were unwilling to let the striker leave without significant financial terms. Napoli were also waiting to finalise the potential departure of Victor Osimhen, whose future remains unresolved, although Galatasaray are believed to be close to triggering his release clause.

However, there has been no meaningful progress in the Nunez negotiations for several weeks, and Saudi clubs are again showing interest in the former Benfica man. Napoli, meanwhile, are focusing their resources elsewhere, securing Kevin De Bruyne on a free transfer, while also adding defender Sam Beukema, wing-back Juanlu Sanchez, and wingers Noa Lang and Dan Ndoye.

Napoli close in on Lucca deal

Head coach Antonio Conte is still seeking a new striker to partner Romelu Lukaku. While Lukaku played an important role in last season’s title-winning campaign, Napoli lacked a consistent goalscorer to replace Osimhen. The club now appear to have settled on 24-year-old Lorenzo Lucca as their main target.

The Italian striker, currently with Udinese, has already experienced spells at several clubs in Italy. He was briefly on Ajax’s books after impressing at Pisa but failed to establish himself in the Netherlands before returning to Serie A. Over the past two seasons, Lucca has scored 20 goals, showing steady development rather than prolific output. Still, his physical attributes and technical ability have marked him as a forward with the potential to become both Napoli’s main striker and a future regular for the Italian national team.

Can Lucca outperform Lukaku?

Lucca will not come cheap, but he is expected to cost significantly less than Nunez. The deal is reportedly worth up to €35m (£29.7m) including bonuses – close to the fee Atletico Madrid paid for Rodrigo De Paul.

The key question now is whether Lucca can offer what Nunez might have delivered, and whether he can prove more influential than Lukaku. Despite being 31, Lukaku remains one of the league’s top strikers, having recorded 14 goals and 10 assists last season while collecting a second Serie A title. That level of output sets a high bar, and Lucca will face pressure to prove he can deliver at a similar level.

This article was originally published on Fotbal Portal.