Lukaku’s injury forces Napoli to act, Milan accelerates for Hojlund, Roma considers sales, and Atalanta finds their new striker in Krstovic.
Just three days before the start of the season, Serie A teams, including the big clubs, are far from complete, and the transfer market is entering, albeit late, its hottest stage: as often happens, the striker merry-go-round is at the center of negotiations.
It all starts with Romelu Lukaku’s injury: the Belgian, sidelined by a serious muscle problem, risks being out until December. A heavy blow for Napoli and Antonio Conte, who are now urgently demanding a replacement.
The hottest name for the Azzurri is Artem Dovbyk. The Ukrainian, coming off a season of ups and downs with Roma and clashing with Gasperini, represents a physical and technical profile similar to Lukaku. Giovanni Manna has already tested the waters, although the operation remains complicated. Meanwhile, Il Mattino reports the intriguing idea of Moise Kean, a forward Fiorentina is not willing to part with easily, and whose price tag hovers around €50 million. A difficult path, but one that could resurface if the need becomes extreme.
Should Dovbyk leave, it remains to be seen what Roma will do: find another number 9 to pair with Evan Ferguson, who has arrived on loan with an option to buy from Brighton, or put all their remaining budget into satisfying Gasperini’s request for Jadon Sancho. The former Atalanta coach wants more pace on the wings, where Bailey has already arrived on loan from Aston Villa, but where Soulé, Dybala (unless, like last summer, he is put on the market), and El Shaarawy are already present. As of now, among the top clubs, Roma is perhaps the biggest question mark, and the coach’s frustration with delays on the market has been evident for some time.
Milan is pushing hard for Rasmus Hojlund, on whom Napoli also made an inquiry. The Rossoneri remain in pole position for the number 9 leaving Manchester United and want to give Allegri a strike partner for Gimenez capable of delivering goals and long-term potential. Negotiations with United are heating up: the plan is a paid loan with an obligation to buy set at €40 million, a figure that would help United ease their books. Time is short: the club’s goal is to present Hojlund in time for the Serie A opener against Cremonese.
In this transfer tangle, Atalanta has also moved: Nikola Krstovic is expected in Bergamo for medicals and signing. The Montenegrin, signed from Lecce for €25 million plus bonuses, will take the place of Mateo Retegui, sold to Al-Quadisiya for €69 million.
And the carousel may not stop here: between financial needs, technical requirements, and unexpected injuries, the fate of strikers continues to intertwine. The final weeks of August promise fireworks and twists that could reshape Serie A.
L’articolo Serie A, the striker carousel: between Dovbyk, Hojlund, Kean and Krstovic, the market heats up proviene da Soccer Made In Italy.
