Atalanta Transfer Market: Maurizio Sarri Knocks on Napoli’s Door for a Surplus Player
Massimiliano Allegri seems far from convinced that Noa Lang can be kept. The Dutch attacking winger, who has returned from his loan at Galatasaray, is trying to make a case for himself, but the situation is clear: he will be sold. Ajax, where he made his Eredivisie debut, would gladly bring him back to the Netherlands, but only on a temporary basis—a prospect that doesn’t excite the player.
In recent hours, Atalanta has stepped forward for the player born in 1999 (Dutch mother, Surinamese father), with Maurizio Sarri pushing for a player with his characteristics: Napoli is considering the option, but another loan is not Aurelio De Laurentiis’s preferred solution.
Lang’s relationship with Napoli has been anything but idyllic. As early as last January, when he was sent on loan to Galatasaray by Antonio Conte, the Dutchman did not mince words in his criticism of the then-Napoli coach: “I didn’t click with the coach; let’s just leave it at that,” he told ESPN, adding that “one day the whole truth will come out.” It was a clean break that had effectively burned bridges with the Neapolitan club even before the end of the season.
The transfer to Galatasaray had been arranged as a paid loan worth 2–3 million euros, with a buyout clause set at 25 million. The Turkish club, evidently, did not exercise the option, and Lang has thus returned to his home club without having convinced anyone to sign him permanently. This situation inevitably reduces his bargaining power during this summer transfer window.
Meanwhile, on the Napoli front, De Laurentiis’s club is focused on other transfer targets. With the sale of Romelu Lukaku to Fenerbahçe, the Neapolitan club has gained greater room to maneuver and is working on the acquisition of Gabriel Jesus from Arsenal: the Brazilian, represented in Italy by Branchini—the same agent as Allegri—is said to have already expressed his interest in the move. The main sticking point remains his salary, as the player currently earns approximately 15 million euros gross per season—a figure that will need to be significantly reduced to allow the deal to close.
In this context, it is clear that Lang’s time at Napoli has definitively come to an end. Allegri, who took over from Conte as Napoli’s head coach, is reshaping the roster to suit his needs, and the Dutchman does not fit into his plans. The transfer market will therefore decide his future: between Sarri’s Atalanta, which wants him to add unpredictability to its attacking play, and a Napoli that is now looking elsewhere, the coming weeks will be decisive in determining where the former PSV player will play next season.
