According to Tuttomercatoweb, Fenerbahce made contact with Romelu Lukaku, who plays for Napoli, before the Sidiki Cherif transfer. It was stated that after adding Sidiki Cherif to their squad, Fenerbahce put the Romelu Lukaku transfer on hold.

Fenerbahçe approached Napoli's 32-year-old striker, Romelu Lukaku, who was on a shortlist of players. The transfer did not proceed because the relationship between the coach and player had not been consistently positive. Lukaku joined Napoli in August 2024 with a contract until June 2027, and according to reports from January 2026, Napoli's asking price was approximately €15–20 million.