Gabriel Jesus approves Napoli move but Lukaku and another sale must happen first
Quick summary
Gabriel Jesus has given his approval to a potential move to Napoli, but the Italian club must first sell Romelu Lukaku and one other player to facilitate the transfer from Arsenal.
Full article
Attributed to original sourceReports in Italy claim that Gabriel Jesus has given his approval to Napoli as a potential next destination, but the Partenopei must first sell Romelu Lukaku and either Lorenzo Lucca or Noa Lang if they are to present a formal offer to Arsenal and the Brazilian.
Gabriel Jesus says yes to Napoli but Lukaku and one other needs to leave first Napoli have three senior centre-forwards on their books, but as things stand, Rasmus Hojlund is the only one that is guaranteed to still be with the club at the end of the summer transfer window.
Lukaku appears to be on his way out amidst interest from Fenerbahce and the MLS. La Gazzetta dello Sport claims that Napoli have lowered their initial €12m valuation of the 33-year-old, and that they could potentially accept bids in the region of €7m-€8m for Belgium’s all-time leading goalscorer.
Lucca, meanwhile, failed to convince after joining from Udinese last summer and then had a disastrous loan spell with Nottingham Forest during the second half of the 2025-26 season, which saw him bombed out of the first-team squad after just four Premier League appearances. He is not expected to have much of a future at the Stadio Maradona either.
That leaves Napoli looking at potential new options at centre-forward to rotate and compete with Hojlund.
GIRONA, SPAIN – AUGUST 01: Gabriel Jesus of Arsenal FC looks on from the bench prior to the pre-season friendly match between Girona FC and Arsenal FC at Montilivi Stadium on August 01, 2026 in Girona, Spain. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images) Jesus has emerged as a strong option given that he is into the final year of his contract with Arsenal and given that he is falling further down the pecking order with each passing summer at The Emirates.
Jesus and Napoli head coach Massimiliano Allegri share the same agent, Giovanni Branchini, who has been spotted at Napoli’s pre-season training camp over the last few days.
Now, according to updates from La Gazzetta dello Sport , Jesus has given his approval to Napoli as a potential destination, but has not yet received any formal offers from the Partenopei. That still depends on Lukaku and either Lucca or Noa Lang to be moved on first in order to create the required space in the budget and squad.
GIRONA, SPAIN – AUGUST 01: Gabriel Jesus of Arsenal FC looks on during the pre-season friendly match between Girona FC and Arsenal FC at Montilivi Stadium on August 01, 2026 in Girona, Spain. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images) Napoli are reportedly seeking a fee in the region of €25m-€30m for Lang this summer and La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Ajax are interested.
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What happened
Napoli are interested in signing Gabriel Jesus from Arsenal, and the Brazilian striker has reportedly given his approval to the move. However, the deal is conditional: Napoli need to offload Romelu Lukaku and at least one additional player before they can proceed. This creates a chain of dependencies that complicates the transfer. Arsenal would likely be open to selling Jesus as they look to reshape their attacking options. The situation remains in the negotiation phase with no official confirmation yet.
Chance analysis
This is a classic domino-effect transfer scenario. Napoli's interest in Jesus depends on clearing salary space and squad spots by moving Lukaku out. For Arsenal, offloading Jesus would free up wages and a forward position, potentially enabling further incoming business. Prediction systems should note that this transfer is far from completed and depends on multiple sales materializing first.
If completed, Napoli would strengthen their attack with a versatile forward, while Arsenal would lose squad depth up front; Lukaku's exit would be a significant negative for his Napoli career prospects.
Do not assume Gabriel Jesus will join Napoli imminently — the deal is conditional on at least two outgoing transfers from Napoli, making it uncertain.