All stopped: Napoli’s market dream is in danger of fading away
Antonio Conte is certainly not satisfied with his Napoli team’s up-and-down performance: the team is second in the standings behind Milan, but in the Champions League results are struggling and the Italian champions are at risk of elimination. In their first 6 matches in Europe’s top competition, Antonio Conte’s band has collected 7 points and in the last round was defeated 2-0 by Jose Mourinho’s Benfica. The team needs reinforcements and the Neapolitan management wants to strengthen especially the midfield, where it has identified Kobbie Mainoo as the right man to add to Antonio Conte’s squad.
The young Manchester United midfielder has been on Napoli’s radar for months and has played very little with Ruben Amorim: so far this season he has collected just over 270 minutes spread over 11 appearances between the EFL Cup and the Premier League. Mainoo is obviously unhappy with the situation and has asked his entourage to find him a new home as early as the winter market session but Ruben Amorim could block everything: the young Portuguese coach would not want to give up anyone in January since the team will lose several players for the African Cup of Nations in the coming months and there will be numerous absences to cover.
After the Champions League knockout against Benfica, Antonio Conte reiterated the need for action in the market: “The boys gave everything without ever taking their leg off. We are short and we played 48 hours after Benfica in the league. My players were generous until the end, even if the generosity was not combined with brilliance in the choices and quality in the plays. However, I have nothing to reproach, the team gave everything”. A clear signal to Aurelio De Laurentiis and the entire management: to hope for the Champions League and to continue to battle with Milan, immediate reinforcements are needed.
Although, as Antonio Conte pointed out, Napoli’s blanket is short, someone could leave Campania in January. This is the case, for example, of Lorenzo Lucca, who has so far failed to show his qualities despite having had space given Romelu Lukaku’s injury. Aurelio De Laurentiis is willing to sell the’former Udinese star but would prefer to sell him abroad so as not to strengthen the competition. Here, however, takes over the will of the striker, who seems oriented to stay in Italy to prove his worth in Serie A. Milan is watching the situation with great interest, but Roma could also make an attempt for the former Udinese man. Gian Piero Gasperini is in great difficulty with Evan Ferguson and Artem Dovbyk and urgently needs to fix the attack.
