Naples, the trail leading to Darwin Nuñez still remains alive

Napoli is accelerating in the market and moving decisively to reinforce the offensive department. President Aurelio De Laurentiis has identified Darwin Nuñez as the priority target for the Azzurri attack. After initial contacts carried out by sporting director Manna, a direct meeting between De Laurentiis and Fali Ramadani, the intermediary in charge of handling the possible exit of the Uruguayan striker from Liverpool, has been staged in recent days.

Nuñez, 26, is not only willing to leave the Premier League, but has also enthusiastically opened up to the possibility of moving to Napoli, attracted by the possibility of playing for Antonio Conte and the ambitious project of the Neapolitan club, already strengthened by the arrival of Kevin De Bruyne. Despite more economically advantageous offers from Saudi Arabia, the Celeste center forward seems intent on prioritizing Napoli’s proposal, captivated by the prospect of making a comeback in Serie A and the Champions League.

However, the economic obstacle remains to be overcome: Liverpool is asking for about 60 million euros to release him, a figure that is still lower than the 75 million plus bonuses invested in 2022 to buy him from Benfica. In addition, Nuñez’s salary, close to 5.5 million euros per season, will have to be revised downward, partly because Napoli cannot benefit from the Growth Decree.

At the same time, the Azzurri club is keeping alive its interest in Udinese and national team striker Lorenzo Lucca. The valuation set by the Friulian club is about 40 million euros, considered high by Napoli, but negotiations remain open. Lucca, 24, is a young and physically structured profile, author of 12 goals in the last Serie A, and represents a concrete alternative to Nuñez.

Napoli continues to move on both fronts, evaluating costs and opportunities. The feeling is that a major strike for the attack could come soon.