Arsenal's hopes of selling Gabriel Jesus have been boosted after Fenerbahce completed the signing of Romelu Lukaku from Napoli.
Lukaku's move to Turkey
Napoli and Fenerbahce announced the deal on Wednesday. While neither club provided financial details, Fabrizio Romano reported that Fenerbahce paid over €6 million (£5.1m) for the former Chelsea and Manchester United striker.
Lukaku joined Napoli in August 2024 and scored 14 goals in Serie A to help secure the Scudetto title. However, last season he made just seven appearances across all competitions due to a thigh injury.
Napoli's pursuit of Jesus
His departure leaves Napoli in the market for a replacement, and they have been linked with a move for Jesus. Standard Sport reported earlier in the week that Arsenal are open to selling the Brazilian before the end of the window.
The Gunners want up to £20 million for Jesus, amid links to Napoli, though it is understood that Arsenal have not received a formal approach from the Italian club as it stands. It has been widely reported that Napoli would step up their pursuit of the Arsenal No9 once Lukaku had been sold.
This may soon become a reality as the Italian side can now accelerate plans to sign Jesus with the funds brought in from Lukaku's sale, as well as clearing his wages off the books.
Arsenal's transfer plans
Arsenal, meanwhile, are targeting a defender and a versatile forward as Mikel Arteta aims to bolster his squad even further after deals for Christos Tzolis, Illan Meslier and Bruno Guimaraes.
“That's the demands,” Arteta said after the Gunners drew their final pre-season game of the summer against Como. “I think for the margins to improve, there are very few players in the market that are available to do that and bring that to the club. But again, we are actively looking to improve that and we're going to try.”
