Napoli abandon Gabriel Jesus pursuit and switch focus to Chelsea's £25m-rated Marc Guiu

Napoli have ended their interest in Arsenal forward Gabriel Jesus after the Brazilian made clear he had no desire to move to Italy, with the Serie A club now redirecting their attention to Chelsea’s Marc Guiu, according to reports from Sky in Italy.

Jesus has been at Arsenal since 2022 but has steadily fallen down the pecking order at the Emirates and is entering the final year of his contract. While a departure this summer remains possible, his rejection of Napoli’s advances has forced the Italian club to look elsewhere.

New Napoli head coach Massimiliano Allegri, who replaced Antonio Conte this summer, is looking to reinforce his forward line following Romelu Lukaku’s departure to Galatasaray. The 20-year-old Guiu has emerged as a target, with Chelsea valuing the Spanish striker at £25m — a significant return on the £5m they paid Barcelona for him in 2024.

Despite showing promise in Europe, Guiu has struggled to establish himself at Stamford Bridge. His most productive spell came in the UEFA Conference League, where he scored six goals in seven games as Chelsea lifted the trophy in 2025. A loan spell at Sunderland last season was cut short after just 26 days when he was recalled following Liam Delap’s injury, but he still managed only five starts and 527 minutes of football under Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior.

His prospects under Xabi Alonso appear similarly limited. Joao Pedro is the club’s first-choice striker, and Chelsea have since added Danny Welbeck as cover, leaving Guiu with a narrow path to regular minutes.

Napoli are not alone in their interest — clubs from Spain and Germany are also monitoring the forward’s situation. The Italian side may need to raise funds before completing any deal, with Dutch winger Noa Lang among those tipped to leave the club. Napoli and Chelsea have already conducted business this summer, with defender Benoit Badiashile joining the Italian club on loan.

Napoli finished second in Serie A last season and have already secured Rasmus Hojlund on a permanent deal following his loan from Manchester United, but Allegri remains keen to add further attacking depth.