With the January transfer window right around the corner, we take a look at who Napoli will be looking to acquire and who they are willing to sell.
There was much uncertainty surrounding the club going into the 2015/2016 Serie A season, with newly hired Maurizio Sarri taking the helm. Throughout all that uncertainty, Napoli have exceeded expectations, flying high currently in second place one point behind Inter. There are specific areas on the pitch however, that could use some rebuffing heading into the January Mercato, namely the midfield and defense. Napoli have already been linked to many promising names for these areas.
Who’s In: Transfer guru Gianluca DiMarzio has linked Napoli to Daniele Rugani, Nikola Maksimovic, Federico Barba, Granit Xhaka, Matias Vecino, Andre Gomes and Ciro Immobile. These players could prove to be very handy in lifting Napoli to a 3rd scudetto in 25 years. Just today, DiMarzio added that Napoli have made a 25 million euro bid to Juventus for Rugani however their bid was ultimately refused. Therefore, Napoli should be making a harder push for Nikola Maksimovic of Torino. Even though Federico Barba is a viable replacement for Raul Albiol, Napoli face competition from Fiorentina for the young Italian’s signature.
Now, onto the midfield. Napoli’s midfield has been a big part of their success for the first half of the season. The trident of Hamsik, Jorginho and Allan has been nothing short of extraordinary. Despite all the success Napoli’s midfield has brought to the club, they still must reinforce to add much needed depth to their midfield. Mirko Valdifiori has been extremely average so far this season and David Lopez hasn’t helped much either, so a midfielder to add to an already stacked starting trident would help immensely. SportItalia has reported that Napoli have made solid contact with Granit Xhaka and Borussia Monchengladbach regarding a transfer for the young Swiss midfield maestro. Also, Napoli president Aurelio DeLaurentiis has contacted Valencia to better understand their money valuation on Portuguese midfielder Andre Gomes. Finally, Napoli manager Maurizio Sarri would like for Napoli to acquire his previous colleague Matias Vecino to better the midfield. Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis is reported, “To make an significant offer” for the young midfielder, according to DiMarzio.
Lastly, Napoli have been eyeing Ciro Immobile for quite some time. The Italian forward, who won the capocannoniere crown just 2 seasons ago, has found it rough in his adventure abroad. Napoli would be looking to replace a potential sale of Manolo Gabbiadini with the Neapolitan Ciro Immobile to add a much needed Vice-Higuain, just in case the Argentine hit-man hits an injury roadblock. Ciro Immobile would likely come to Napoli on a loan deal according to DiMarzio.
Who’s Out: With the transfers coming in, there are transfers going out. One of the rumored departures is Napoli goalkeeper Rafael Cabral. The Brazilian shot-stopper has not been able to find decent playing time with Pepe Reina reprising his starting position as goalie. Therefore, Rafael is bound to leave, with Guangzhou Evergrande of China reportedly interested in him by calciomercato.com. Juan Camilo Zuniga and Jonathan De Guzman are also set to leave the Partenopei for English club AFC Bournemouth, as per Sky Italia. The two have not played a single minute this term and are more than certain to be leaving the gulf of Naples this winter. Furthermore, Napoli defender Henrique looks all but set on a 2 million euro move back to his homeland Brazil for Fluminense. He has also not been able to gain one minute of playing time under newly hired Maurizio Sarri. Finally, Manolo Gabbiadini could be making a move away from the South of Italy. Although unlikely, the talented Italian forward has not seen much playing time, only playing in Europa League matches so far this season. Even though Gabbiadini might be unsettled, Napoli consider him to be a Vice-Higuain therefore only an important offer will prize Manolo away from the southern club.
Final Word: This up-and-coming transfer window is an important one for Napoli. To make a significant push for the highly coveted Serie A title, Napoli must make a few significant purchases to stay on coarse with Juventus, Inter, Fiorentina and Roma. Having a strong transfer window can not only strengthen the squad, it can also provide much needed rest for Napoli’s starters who are valued so highly. Napoli fans are hoping for president Aurelio De Laurentiis to splash the cash this winter.
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