Fenerbahçe evaluated and approached Napoli's 32-year-old striker, Romelu Lukaku, who was on a shortlist of players. The Belgian striker, who was in physical recovery at the time, had previously been coached by Fenerbahçe's manager, Domenico Tedesco, with the national team. The transfer did not proceed because the relationship between the coach and player had not been consistently positive, which led the club's management to decide against pursuing the deal and to seek a player with different characteristics, ultimately signing Sidiki Cherif.
Lukaku joined Napoli in August 2024 and has a contract that runs until June 2027. He has earned 124 caps and scored 89 goals for Belgium. His current market value is €15.00m, according to Transfermarkt, and he has also been linked with Beşiktaş, Everton, and Aston Villa. According to reports from January 2026, Napoli's asking price was approximately €15–20 million, following his €30 million transfer from Chelsea in August 2024.
