Napoli manager Antonio Conte has reportedly turned his attention to Manchester United striker Rasmus Højlund following the serious injury suffered by Romelu Lukaku.
Conte enjoyed a dream start to life at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium last season, steering Napoli to the Serie A crown in his debut campaign.
The Italian tactician has now lifted the Scudetto five times in his career, three with Juventus, once with Inter Milan, and most recently with Napoli.
With domestic success secured, his next ambition is to finally leave a mark in the UEFA Champions League.
That mission, however, has already been hit with a major setback. Star forward Romelu Lukaku has sustained a thigh injury that will sideline him for several months.
Football transfer expert, Fabrizio Romano, confirmed the development via X, writing, “Napoli are back on the market for new striker as reported yesterday, due to serious injury for Romelu Lukaku.
“The Belgian striker suffered muscle injury and won’t be available for the next three months at least.”
Romano further revealed that Napoli wasted no time in exploring alternatives and reached out to Manchester United regarding a possible deal for Højlund.
“Napoli had direct contact with Man United today following Romelu Lukaku’s injury as he’ll be out more than 3 months.
“Napoli asked for loan deal conditions for Rasmus Højlund.
“Man United want to keep Joshua Zirkzee, no talks despite links today. Clear plan by Rúben Amorim,” Romano noted.
The 22-year-old Dane, who previously made a name for himself in Serie A with Atalanta, has endured a mixed spell at Old Trafford since his £72 million move in 2023.
Last season, he managed 11 goals and two assists across 58 appearances, taking his overall tally to 26 goals in 95 matches for United.
While Højlund has publicly maintained that he is not seeking an exit this summer, reports from La Gazzetta dello Sport suggest he is keeping his options open and could be tempted by a return to Italy.
Inter Milan had already shown interest earlier in the transfer window, but it is now Napoli, desperate for a temporary Lukaku replacement, who are testing the waters.
