By Dayo Awoniyi
Serie A champions Napoli are intensifying their summer transfer efforts as they prepare for a renewed push in next season’s UEFA Champions League, with top targets identified as Atalanta’s Ademola Lookman and AC Milan’s Rafael Leão.
According to multiple reports in Italy, Napoli have prioritized the signing of Lookman, the reigning African Player of the Year.
Football analyst and former Lazio midfielder Dario Marcolin has backed the move, arguing that the Nigerian international would offer more to Napoli than Leão.
“Between the two wingers, I would take Lookman,” Marcolin said in an interview with Radio Marte.
“Leão is strong and will benefit from working with [Napoli coach] Antonio Conte, but the Atalanta player is more versatile. He is decisive, fast, dangerous in one-on-one situations, and has more goals in him.”
Marcolin’s assessment underscores Lookman’s adaptability and attacking threat — attributes that could prove crucial for Napoli as they seek to build a squad capable of competing deep into Europe’s elite competition.
Both Lookman and Leão have enjoyed standout seasons in Serie A, but with Napoli under new management and determined to return to continental prominence, the focus appears to be shifting firmly toward the former RB Leipzig and Leicester City winger.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
