The Search for the New Number 9: Forest Secure Breakthrough for Napoli’s Lorenzo Lucca
By Gemini Sports Bureau | Monday, January 19, 2026
The lights are burning late at the City Ground this January. With the winter transfer window entering its defining fortnight, Nottingham Forest manager Sean Dyche has made his move to solve the club’s most glaring problem: a lack of height and firepower at the sharp end of the pitch.
According to transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano, Nottingham Forest have reached a “full agreement” on terms to sign Napoli’s towering center-forward Lorenzo Lucca. The deal, structured as an initial loan with a massive €35 million option to buy, represents a significant gamble on a player who has become the “forgotten man” of Antonio Conte’s high-flying Napoli side.
For a Forest squad currently reeling from a long-term injury to Chris Wood and the high-profile loan exit of Arnaud Kalimuendo to Eintracht Frankfurt, Lucca’s arrival could be the difference between a mid-table finish and a slide back toward the relegation dogfight.
The Anatomy of the Deal
Forest have moved with surgical precision to beat out competition from the likes of Benfica and several clubs in the Saudi Pro League. The financial structure of the deal is a classic “try before you buy” arrangement that has become a hallmark of Forest’s recruitment strategy under owner Evangelos Marinakis:
- Loan Fee: Forest will pay a €1 million upfront fee to take Lucca for the remainder of the 2025/26 season.
- The Option: The deal includes a non-mandatory €35 million (approx. £30m) right to purchase the striker permanently in the summer.
- The Salary: Romano reports that Forest’s “salary proposal” was the most lucrative on the table, successfully turning the player’s head despite his initial hesitation to leave Italy.
Italian outlet AreaNapoli claims that the 25-year-old is now “ready to say yes” after weeks of uncertainty. While Sky Sports Italy insists the player is taking one final moment to deliberate, all signs point to Lucca boarding a flight to the East Midlands within the next 48 hours.
Who is Lorenzo Lucca? The 6ft 7in Enigma
At 201cm (6ft 7in), Lorenzo Lucca is a physical anomaly. He is a striker built in the mold of a classic Dyche “target man,” yet his career has been a rollercoaster of high expectations and frustrating droughts.
Lucca’s journey is one of perseverance. After being released from the Torino youth academy, he dropped into the Italian third tier with Palermo, where his goal-scoring exploits earned him a move to Pisa in Serie B. It was there that he caught the eye of European giants Ajax, though a loan spell in Amsterdam yielded more questions than answers.
His breakthrough in the top flight came with Udinese in 2023, where his aerial dominance and improved hold-up play convinced Napoli to sanction a big-money loan-to-buy deal in the summer of 2025.
The “Conte Cold Shoulder”
However, life under Antonio Conte has been anything but a dream. Despite Lucca’s international pedigree—boasting five caps for Italy—he has found himself completely frozen out of Conte’s tactical plans.
The statistics make for grim reading for Napoli fans but provide context for Forest’s opportunity:
- Minutes: Lucca has started only once since the end of October—a lone appearance in the Italian Cup.
- Production: He has managed just one goal in 16 Serie A appearances this season.
- The Snub: In recent weeks, Conte has opted to play unproven academy youngsters from the Primavera squad rather than call upon Lucca, signaling a complete breakdown in the relationship between the manager and the striker.
The “Dyche Factor”: A Perfect Tactical Marriage?
While Lucca has struggled in Napoli’s fluid, high-intensity system, Sean Dyche’s Nottingham Forest offers a very different environment. Dyche has built his career on utilizing physical strikers—from Ashley Barnes at Burnley to Chris Wood at the City Ground—who can win second balls, provide a platform for wingers, and dominate set-pieces.
With Chris Wood sidelined following knee surgery and Arnaud Kalimuendo allowed to join Frankfurt after failing to adapt to Dyche’s “hard-yards” philosophy, the striking department currently rests solely on the shoulders of the Brazilian Igor Jesus.
[Image: Comparison of Lorenzo Lucca and Chris Wood’s aerial duel stats]
Lucca’s arrival provides the “plan B” that Forest have lacked. He offers a presence in the box that defenders simply cannot ignore, potentially freeing up space for the likes of Morgan Gibbs-White and Callum Hudson-Odoi to operate in the pockets.
The Alternatives: Abraham and Strand Larsen
The move for Lucca comes after Forest explored several other high-profile leads. The club famously attempted to “hijack” Tammy Abraham’s move from Besiktas to Aston Villa, with reports suggesting Forest were willing to meet the former Chelsea man’s wage demands. However, Abraham’s preference for a return to Villa Park appears to have forced Forest to look elsewhere.
Links to Wolves’ Jorgen Strand Larsen also circulated, but the €35m price tag for a permanent deal in January was seen as a stumbling block. By securing Lucca on a loan with an option, Forest protect themselves financially while addressing an immediate squad crisis.
Conclusion: A High-Stakes Gamble
There is no denying that signing a striker with one goal in 16 games is a risk. Critics will point to Lucca’s struggles at Ajax and Napoli as proof that he may not be cut out for the elite level.
However, for Nottingham Forest, Lorenzo Lucca is not just a player; he is a profile. In the brutal world of a Premier League relegation scrap, sometimes height, strength, and a point to prove are more valuable than recent form. If Sean Dyche can unlock the potential that once made Lucca the most talked-about teenager in Italy, Forest’s €1 million loan fee could go down as the bargain of the season.
The “Italian Giant” is coming to the City Ground. Whether he stands tall or falls short will likely define Forest’s status as a Premier League club in 2026.