The Belgian striker was due to report to Napoli's Castel di Sangro training camp to resume work under Allegri, but the club has granted him a few extra days away from the group, a sign his future in Naples is no longer part of the coach's plans following his return from the World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada with Belgium.
Napoli must now find a buyer, and while no deal is imminent, interest is far from lacking: Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Lukaku is waiting for a concrete offer from Europe, with Monaco continuing to monitor the situation and interest also emerging from clubs in Turkey's Süper Lig, two of whose bids he has already turned down. Saudi Arabian suitors could enter the picture at a later stage.
Napoli signed Lukaku from Chelsea for €30m in the summer of 2024, a deal that included a clause entitling the English club to 40% of any future resale; his valuation has since fallen sharply, with recent reports in Italy putting Napoli's asking price at somewhere between €10m and €15m.
The uncertainty is holding up the rest of Napoli's incoming business, given the club's need to balance departures against new arrivals before adding further faces to Allegri's squad. The most eye-catching name currently being discussed is Gabriel Jesus, with reports suggesting a potential move for the Arsenal forward, a player Allegri has long admired, could gain momentum if Lukaku's exit is finalised alongside the possible departure of Noa Lang to Ajax.
Napoli are also managing the delicate situation of Boca Juniors winger Exequiel Zeballos, 24, who is keen to move to Naples and has turned down a contract renewal offer from the Argentine club, due to expire in December.
That deal, too, remains frozen while Napoli work through their outgoing business first, with the Lukaku situation sitting at the centre of a market that has so far been anything but explosive for the Azzurri, who are relying on club president Aurelio De Laurentiis and sporting director Giovanni Manna to untangle the logjam before the window closes.