Napoli Transfer Market: Massimiliano Allegri Knows Exactly What He Wants

Officially introduced on Tuesday at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples, the Neapolitan club’s new coach, Massimiliano Allegri, inevitably addressed the outlook for the summer transfer window, outlining the priorities in this regard. The Livorno-born coach, who arrived in Naples after a disappointing season at Milan, did not want to name names but nevertheless clarified the path to be taken.

“The transfer market is the club’s responsibility: we work in harmony and in close contact,” said Allegri. “Once I’ve had a chance to assess the entire roster, I’ll make my evaluations, and together we’ll determine what we need. With Director Manna and President De Laurentiis, we’ll discuss ways to improve even further. This collaboration is essential: in today’s soccer, the challenge is to remain competitive without compromising sustainability. The team is already solid; we’ll see what changes are necessary.”

“De Bruyne and Lukaku? An old coach taught me that until you see and train the players, it’s always difficult to pass judgment from the outside,” added Napoli’s new head coach. “Starting tomorrow, we’ll really get to know each other; we’ll begin with the players who are already available to set the tone for our work and lay the groundwork for the season.”

Born in 1967, Massimiliano Allegri began his coaching career in 2003 at Aglianese, shortly after retiring as a player. He went on to coach SPAL, Grosseto, Lecco, Sassuolo, Cagliari, Milan, and Juventus—the latter two clubs during two separate stints. A winner of six Scudetti and five Coppa Italia titles, last year marked his second stint at Milan, which ended on a bitter note as the team missed out on Champions League qualification on the final matchday.