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Napoli striker Lorenzo Lucca, currently on loan at Nottingham Forest, will be offloaded by the Italian side in the summer, with it ‘almost impossible’ he will remain at the Serie A champions.
The Italy international arrived at the City Ground from the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in January on a loan deal until the end of the season, with an option to make the move permanent.
Lucca joined Napoli last summer following an impressive spell at Udinese, but failed to make a mark in Antonio Conte’s side, with the 25-year-old managing just two goals in 23 appearances for the Serie A outfit.
A move to England was meant to revive his fortunes, yet the forward has been limited to just three Premier League outings under Vitor Pereira, despite backing from Udinese’s technical director to make an impact.
The hoped-for revival has failed to materialise, with the Tricky Trees omitting him from their matchday squad since February, his last appearance a brief cameo in the 1-0 defeat to defending champions Liverpool, with his limited involvement sparking dissatisfaction in Italy.
Now, according to Italian outlet Area Napoli, any prospect of Lucca remaining at Napoli is deemed “almost impossible,” with the Azzurri expected to move him on once he returns to Italy this summer, if Nottingham Forest do not keep him.
Nottingham Forest have endured a turbulent campaign, already on their third managerial change of the season under Pereira, and now find themselves locked in a battle to secure their Premier League status with six matches remaining.
| Game | |
|---|---|
| Burnley (H) | Sunderland (A) |
| Chelsea (A) | Newcastle United (H) |
| Manchester United (A) | Bournemouth (H) |
Since the beginning of March, however, their form has turned a corner, going unbeaten and registering a statement 3-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, lifting them to 16th, three points above the drop zone.
Despite their struggles, Forest have shown little inclination to call upon the 25-year-old, and it appears increasingly unlikely that they will activate the option to make his move permanent, even after the Azzurri lowered their asking price.
The Napoli hierarchy are prepared to take a financial hit, accepting a fee in the region of €18m €20m as they push to secure a permanent exit, well below the €30m they initially invested to bring him to Naples.
Nottingham Forest’s option to buy is set at €35m.
With his future with Napoli looking all but decided and the club keen to move him off the books, attention now turns to who will take a gamble on the striker, with Bologna among those to have shown tentative interest.
Lucca could still have an opportunity to create a memorable Premier League moment though and drum up English interest.
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