Napoli market, not just Zappa: three more names for Di Lorenzo’s replacement

In the Napoli household there is great concern over Giovanni Di Lorenzo’s injury. The Azzurri right-back left on a stretcher in tears after half an hour in the match against Fiorentina, then won 2-1, due to a problem with his left knee. A rupture of the cruciate ligament is feared, as confirmed by Antonio Conte after the match: “There is probably talk of a rupture of the knee, Napoli and also the national team pays the consequences. I feel so sorry for the boy because in some ways you feel guilty to let them play all the time”.

Luca Giorgetti

So the management of the Neapolitan club is already working to find a replacement for Di Lorenzo. According to reports from Sky Sport, the number one suspect is Gabriele Zappa, class of 1999 owned by Cagliari, with whom he has so far collected 20 appearances in Serie A, putting on 3 assists. On the red-blue full-back, capable of playing both as an arm and an outside player, there&#8217s also the interest of Fiorentina, but at the moment the blue club remains clearly ahead in the negotiations.

Zappa, however, is not the only name being followed by Napoli to replace Di Lorenzo. Sporting director Giovanni Manna, in fact, has put three other names on his notebook: the first is Ignace Van der Brempt, a 22-year-old from Como; the second is former AC Milan player Davide Calabria, class of 1996, who now plays at Panathinaikos, while the last is another old acquaintance of Serie A: former Atalanta player Timothy Castagne, a 30-year-old from Fulham.

The first name is the one of the former AC Milan player Davide Calabria, class of 1996, who now plays at Panathinaikos, while the last is another old acquaintance of Serie A: former Atalanta player Timothy Castagne, 30 years old from Fulham.

The last name is the former Atalanta player Timothy Castagne, who is now playing for the Italian team.

In the meantime, Napoli is aiming to close an incoming deal in attack: Alisson Santos, Sporting Lisbon’s outside forward who attracted attention after his decisive goal in the Champions League that took the Portuguese to the round of 16. The Brazilian winger is expected in Italy for medical examinations and will sign a contract until 2031.

Conte vented about the market in a press conference: “We have 240 million in cash, other clubs are in debt and we have the market blocked. These are the rules, we accept them but every now and then you should stop instead of thinking about the new rules of soccer, Var, hand fouls, matches in Australia or Saudi Arabia. We need to protect those who are the real creators of the sport, the soccer players: it’s not us outside, it’s them. And they need to be better protected, I am pissed off”.