Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea will be keeping a close eye on Napoli's business in the coming days, with each harbouring hopes of offloading a striker to the Serie A mainstays. However, I Partenopei will have to offload a player of their own to make room for a respective arrival.
Napoli's Need for a New Striker
The club recently sold Romelu Lukaku to Fenerbahce in a deal worth around £5million, following a dismal two-year stint in which he made just 45 appearances in total. He also racked up just five outings in the league in total last term, missing the majority through injury and fitness issues.
As a result, Napoli are now on the hunt for a new centre-forward to hopefully provide more of an attacking threat in 2026/27, with a number of names linked with a move. Gabriel Jesus has been at the forefront of speculation this summer, with the Italian outfit thought to be keen admirers of the Arsenal talent.
Interest in Multiple Strikers
Jesus has failed to find his footing in north London as of recent, with Viktor Gyokeres' arrival 12 months ago further forcing him out of Mikel Arteta's first-team plans. And as a result, he is largely expected to be moved on ahead of the September 1 deadline. However, he is not alone in receiving Napoli's admiration as of recent. Joshua Zirkzee, who was linked with a move to Roma in January, has also been monitored by the club.
It is understood that Manchester United have received an enquiry regarding the 25-year-old's availability. Given the Dutchman has been deemed surplus to requirements under Michael Carrick, outperformed by Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko, it appears United will be willing to let him leave for a suitable fee.
Chelsea, meanwhile, have also seen an enquiry regarding Nicolas Jackson, who is in a similar position to both Jesus and Zirkzee. The Senegalese forward is under contract at Stamford Bridge until 2033, but seemingly has no future with the club. Having spent last season on loan with Bayern Munich, Jackson has since returned to west London - again, out of favour but this time by Xabi Alonso as opposed to Enzo Maresca, who has since moved on to Manchester City. The Blues are likely to persist with Joao Pedro leading the line, who was recently handed the No.9 shirt worn by Liam Delap last season.
Waiting on Noa Lang's Departure
As a result of links, Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea will all be eager to strike a deal with Napoli in the coming days to offload surplus stars and potentially welcome new arrivals. However, the Premier League giants will have to wait for Napoli to offload another player to make room for a respective centre-forward. As per Gianluca Di Marzio, Noa Lang could be the man to create space within Napoli's ranks.
The publication report that Atalanta are hopeful of securing a loan deal for the Dutch winger, which would give Napoli both financial and inter-squad space to pick and choose between Jesus, Zirkzee and Jackson.
