Napoli are looking at options up front after an injury scare for Romelu Lukaku, with a Manchester United flop on their radar.
The Belgian forward suffered a thigh injury during the pre-season friendly with Olympiacos last Thursday, replaced by Lorenzo Lucca just past the half hour mark.
The extent of the injury is yet to be confirmed, but the Serie A champions are worried that the 32-year-old is going to be out for a number of weeks.
Antonio Conte wants to bring in a new forward given the situation, with the club identifying a few possible targets.
Among them is a loan move for Manchester United’s Joshua Zirkzee, who has made little impact with the Red Devils since his move from Bologna last year.
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The 24-year-old made 49 appearances in all competitions in his first season with the club, scoring four goals.
He scored on his Premier League debut at the start of the last campaign, but managed just three goals in 32 outings in the top flight.
With the arrival of Benjamin Sesko at Manchester United, the Dutchman has fallen down the pecking order under Ruben Amorim.
He was on the bench as the Red Devils hosted Arsenal on Sunday and did not make it onto the pitch despite Amorim’s side chasing a result, eventually losing the match 1-0.
Italian publication Corriere dello Sport report that Napoli hold an interest in Zirkzee, thanks to his performances in Italy, where he scored 11 Serie A goals in his last season with Bologna before leaving for England.
This interest in the Netherlands international is not out of the blue, with Napoli linked with a move for him in the January transfer window as well.
They are also looking at other options, with Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta also on their radar.
The Eagles will be loathed to lose the Frenchman, with other star names Eberechi Eze and Marc Guehi also linked with an exit before the transfer window closes.
Other forwards reportedly on Napoli’s shopping list are Roma’s Ukraine international Artem Dovbyk and Lecce’s Montenegrin striker Nikola Krstovic.
An update on Lukaku’s injury is expected imminently, which will influence how desperate Napoli are to make a move as their Serie A season starts on Saturday August 23 at Sassuolo.
The injury in a friendly will be of great frustration to Conte after the manager talked up Lukaku ahead of the game last week.
‘He can do even more, because he’s a key player in winning the Scudetto, because we bought him for €30 million and the cost/return ratio was top-notch,’ Conte said of Lukaku’s 14 league goals last season.
‘Training after so many years of not doing so can bring him a lot of benefits. He’s in the midst of his development, he’s one of the team’s key players.’