Napoli in crisis: Without "Big Rom", is the Scudetto also lost?

20/08/2025 09:37:00 ChampionChatter

The decisive strike in a meaningless friendly against Olympiacos not only left Romelu Lukaku in agony, but could also bring Napoli to their knees.

The severe injury to "Big Rom" has pushed the reigning champions into a critical situation, exposing fatal weaknesses and raising a major concern: Without Lukaku, will Napoli also lose the Scudetto?

A blow to the entire project

Medical examinations have confirmed the worst-case scenario: Romelu Lukaku has suffered a major tear in his left thigh muscle. Doctors are considering surgery, and if that happens, the Belgian striker could be out for 3 to 5 months, likely missing almost the entire first half of the Serie A season and 6 out of 8 Champions League group stage matches.

This unfortunate event is nothing short of a huge setback that could derail Napoli’s entire season. Losing Lukaku is not just losing a player or a main striker; it severely undermines the team’s playing style and Antonio Conte’s tactical plans. Lukaku is more than just a goal-scorer. His physicality, strength, and aggressive playing style are essential to Conte’s philosophy. Since arriving at Napoli in the summer of 2024, Conte insisted on bringing in Lukaku, and history has proven him right as "Big Rom" became the key player in Napoli’s Scudetto-winning campaign. Conte’s system requires a physically dominant forward to hold up play, attract defenders, and create space for others around him.

It’s even more disappointing for Napoli as the dream of seeing the Belgian duo in action together must be put on hold. Kevin De Bruyne will have to wait before reuniting with Lukaku as they have played side by side for over a decade.

Where can they find another Lukaku?

In both of their recent championship runs, Napoli relied on a strong, athletic striker to lead the line: Victor Osimhen in 2023 and Romelu Lukaku in 2025. Therefore, one of the most important criteria for finding Lukaku’s replacement is that the player must have similar qualities: strength, power, and the ability to play independently.

Finding someone who can fill Lukaku’s role is an extremely difficult task for Napoli at this time.

However, this is an almost impossible challenge right now. According to Italian media, Napoli’s targets—such as Rasmus Hojlund (Man Utd), Artem Dovbyk (Roma), Nikola Krstovic (Lecce), Andrea Pinamonti (Sassuolo), and Roberto Piccoli (Cagliari)—do not possess the necessary power and physical presence to replace Lukaku. Other names like Jean-Philippe Mateta, Joshua Zirkzee, or Breel Embolo have the physique, but lack in other areas like experience, consistency, or come with an unreasonable price. In reality, none of these players are seen as being on the same level as "Big Rom".

Surprisingly, it seems Napoli are no longer interested in pursuing Dusan Vlahovic. The Serbian striker’s high salary is a stumbling block, and it’s likely that coach Conte is not fond of a player who seems as money-focused as Osimhen was before.

Top contender status in jeopardy

Losing Lukaku for half the season, while struggling to find an adequate replacement and lacking backup options (Napoli have sold both reserve strikers Giacomo Raspadori and Giovanni Simeone), has cast major doubts over Napoli’s status as title favorites.

Before Lukaku’s injury, they were still considered the leading contender for the Scudetto due to their stability—being the only team in the Top 8 to keep their coach—and the addition of high-quality, well-suited stars like De Bruyne, Noa Lang, and Sam Beukema. But now, all those advantages could become meaningless. Lukaku’s injury has completely changed the picture, turning a solid position into one of uncertainty.

The pressure on Napoli is now enormous. The transfer window is about to close, quality options are very limited, and rivals will surely try to take advantage by raising prices. Now, the reigning champions face the risk of signing a player who doesn’t fully meet their needs, overspending, or, worst of all, starting the season with an irreplaceable gap in attack.

Milan like a supermarket

Milan’s squad overhaul is still ongoing. Yesterday, the sale of striker Noah Okafor to Leeds United was finalized for a fee of around 20–21 million euros. The Swiss international is already the 16th main squad member to leave Milan this summer, following Theo Hernandez (Al Hilal), Tijjani Reijnders (Man City), Emerson Royal (Flamengo), Tommaso Pobega (loan to Bologna), Francesco Camarda (loan to Lecce), Lorenzo Colombo (loan to Genoa), Marco Sportiello (Atalanta), Malick Thiaw (Newcastle), Filippo Terracciano and Warren Bondo (both loaned to Cremonese). Previously, Luka Jovic, Davide Calabria, and Alessandro Florenzi departed as free agents, Pierre Kalulu was permanently transferred to Juventus, and Alvaro Morata’s loan was switched from Galatasaray to Como.

But Okafor won’t be the last, as Milan still need to find destinations for Yunus Musah, Yacine Adli, Ismael Bennacer, Samuel Chukwueze, and possibly even Youssouf Fofana if the price is right, with Al-Ahli reportedly ready to make a massive offer to bring the midfielder to Saudi Arabia.

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